Washington DC -- University of North Carolina has introduced Nepali language learning and teaching program for the interested undergraduate and graduate level students from this academic session. The classes begin tomorrow.

            According to instructor Dr. Harihar Bhattarai, Nepali language teaching program was funded by the State Department of Education and that it would also welcome anyone other than the students who are interested in Nepali language and literature.

            This is however not the first time that any US university has okayed the inclusion of the Nepali language under critical language program. University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, University of Colorado, Texas University, University of Berkley had also introduced Nepali language teaching program in the past. However, in many of those universities the national language of Nepal is no more in practice. Nepali language in the meantime is still taught at the Cornell University.

            “Important thing is not to introduce a language faculty at a certain university but to sustain it,” Dr. Bhattarai who also taught Hindi language at the Duke University and who has a significant role in introducing Nepali language in UNC told this scribe.

            Dr. Bhattarai said that it was in the initiation of the Nepali community in North Carolina that he was inspired to push forward the idea of introducing the language in the university.

            Nepali Diaspora in the USA believes the introduction of the national language of Nepal in the US universities would highly contribute to the ever increasing Nepali community and its off springs to remain attached to their culture of origin.

            According to him, students will study the language for three years (six semesters in intermediate level and three semesters in graduate level). Dr. Bhatttarai believes that this new program would also help students of diverse culture and background to know Nepal through its language which is close to the world’s oldest language of Sanskrit.