# Sikkim litfest promotes state’s 12 official languages

2026-11-01T07:46:36+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

The second edition of the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival (SALF) concluded in Gangtok on Friday (30 October 2026). The three-day event promoted local languages including Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali and Bhujel, highlighting Sikkim's status as having the third-highest number of official languages in India at 12, after Jharkhand and West Bengal. State education minister Raju Basnet said: 'No mother tongue is too small for big ideas.' The festival featured sessions on folklore, identity, migration, AI and mental health. Speakers included Sahitya Akademi Award winner Mamang Dai, poet Ranjit Hoskote and writers Chuden Kabimo, Prajwal Parajuly and Shankar Deo Dhakal. The festival is a collaboration of the Sikkim students' welfare board, the education department and the state government, produced by Teamwork Arts.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

Both Financial Express and Sikkimexpress provided straight reporting on the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival, with no discernible slant. Financial Express emphasised the linguistic diversity and the state's 12 official languages, quoting education minister Raju Basnet. Sikkimexpress gave more space to session details, performances and participant remarks, including poet Ranjit Hoskote on migration and writer Prajwal Parajuly on preserving Nepali. Neither outlet presented critical or oppositional framing. The coverage uniformly portrays the festival as a positive cultural initiative backed by the state government, without questioning its reach or impact. The next edition has not been announced.

## Coverage

Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
- financialexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.financialexpress.com/life/lifestyle/in-sikkim-a-toast-to-states-12-languages/4374195/>
  Straight reporting on the festival with official quotes and regional context
- sikkimexpress.com (neutral report) <https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/salf-draws-curtains-on-three-days-of-literary-celebrations>
  Detailed event coverage with session descriptions and participant quotes

This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.

Tags: Gangtok, Mamang Dai, Raju Basnet, Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival
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