The Hamro Party-led Darjeeling municipality has planned to celebrate Bhasha Diwas for three days in August this year to mark the inclusion of Nepali language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution in 1992.

The decision indicates that the three-month-old party is also preparing to take up “larger” issues of the region.

Hamro Party, which won the Darjeeling municipality, had during the campaign before civic elections mostly talked about delivery in services and good governance centring around the theme of creating a “happy city”. It had broached statehood and language issues only fleetingly.

However, Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards on Friday said: “Once our party forms the Darjeeling municipality board, there are plans to mark Bhasha Diwas over a period of three days. We will invite a host of people including present chief minister of Sikkim P.S. Golay and former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling , former Sikkim MP Dil Kumari Bhandari and also leaders of all political and apolitical parties.”

Bhasha Diwas is celebrated on August 22 as the Nepali language was recognised in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution along with Manipuri and Konkani on this day in 1992.

The struggle for language recognition was long as it first started from 1956. Three state governments, of Bengal, Sikkim and Tripura had passed a resolution for the recognition and many believe that MP Dil Kumari Bhandari and her husband and former chief minister of Sikkim Nar Bahadur Bhandari played a pivotal role in ensuring the recognition in 1992.

Edwards believes that the Nepali language recognition is one of the most important achievements of the community but the same has not been duly recognised.

“During the course of these events, we can create a platform consisting of all stakeholders to take forward the demand of permanent political solution and statehood. Hamro Party, however, will don the role of the youngest brother,” said Edwards.

Hamro Party has stated that while it is committed to the statehood demand, it would want to pursue the demand peacefully and democratically.

The announcement of Edwards assumes more significance now as chief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to hold elections to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) as soon as possible.

These elections are due since 2017 and many believe that the party that comes to power in the GTA controls hill politics.

Edwards also announced that his three-month-old party is ready to contest every election in the coming days.

“Against this backdrop, Edwards’s decision to talk about the language movement and statehood is important as these larger issues can’t be ignored in hill politics though the Hamro Party is still stressing on fulfilling its promises on the delivery of services to make the quality of life in Darjeeling better for its residents,” said an observer.