On July 8, 2025, the Gandaki Provincial Assembly made history by unanimously passing Bill 2082, officially recognizing Gurung and Magar Indigenous Nationalities’ languages as the languages of Government Administration. Remarkably, this was also the first time the Gandaki Assembly conducted its proceedings using Gurung and Magar Indigenous languages — a powerful, living expression of linguistic justice in action.
This milestone builds on the path paved by the Bagmati Province’s recognition of Nepal Bhasa and Tamang Indigenous Nationalities’ languages as the Official languages in the Government Administration, which reflects a growing momentum of the Indigenous Peoples’ movement across Nepal to uplift and restore their rights and identities. It is more important to effectively implement the Act through the endorsement and enactment of regulations.
But the impact of this bill goes beyond Indigenous language rights. It also establishes the ground for inclusive communication standards, officially recognizing sign language, touch sign language, and braille script for people with disabilities, which is another bill that the concerned groups and stakeholders are advocating for. A bold and visionary move that sets a new precedent for inclusive governance in the region.
This achievement reflects the tireless leadership of Indigenous champions and parliamentarians and the unified voices and collective efforts of the Magar and Gurung Indigenous Nationalities. In a heartfelt moment, the Gurung community honored Chief Minister Hon. Surendra Raj Pandey, whose leadership helped to make the bill a reality, showing the strength of community-driven advocacy and political will.
We extend our deepest congratulations to the Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPF) Nepal for their technical assistance in drafting and advancing this bill. The IPAS Fund is proud and humbled to have supported this journey and to stand alongside Gurung, Magar, and other marginalized Indigenous communities in the region for this historic achievement towards language justice and inclusion.
It’s important to strategically plan for the next steps executed by the Magar, Gurung, and all communities of the Gandaki Province to create a wider impact of this bold and collective move toward a more equal and prosperous province. This moment reminds us: when Indigenous Peoples and marginalized communities are resourced and trusted to lead, transformational change is not only possible — it becomes unstoppable.
More importantly, this momentum needs to be expanded, not only to other provinces of Nepal but also to other countries and regions. Indigenous Nationalities/Peoples in Nepal must strategically include other languages of Indigenous Nationalities that are considered minorities within the province. Altogether, 30+ Indigenous Nationalities’ languages are identified within the province. It’s our responsibility to equally balance and preserve, conserve, and sustainably transfer the languages, skills, and knowledge of other Indigenous languages as well. Some of these languages are endangered and on the verge of extinction, which means different acts or policies must be developed, enacted and executed to preserve and conserve these languages as well. The support of IPAS Fund will continue in the process of advocacy for the regulation and effective implementation for the benefits of Indigenous Peoples and knowledge, skills transfer to the younger generations, since language is associated with the culture, wellbeing, and identities of the Indigenous Peoples.
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