As per the 2011 Census, a total of 2,926,168 people in India spoke
Nepali as their mother tongue. The largest populations can be found in West Bengal – 1,155,375 (+12.97% from 2001 Census), Assam – 596,210 (+5.56%), Sikkim – 382,200 (+12.87%), Uttarakhand – 106,399 (+16.86%), Arunachal Pradesh – 95,317 (+00.42%), Himachal Pradesh – 89,508 (+27.37%), Maharashtra – 75,683 (+19.22%), Manipur – 63,756 (+38.61%), Meghalaya – 54,716 (+4.91%), Nagaland – 43,481 (+27.06%), and Mizoram – 8,994 (+0.51%). Apart from this, there are additional speakers of languages such as
Limbu (40,835),
Rai (15,644),
Sherpa (16,012) and
Tamang (20,154). So the combined strength of Nepali and the other four Gorkha languages comes to 3,018,813. As per the 2001 Census, a total of 2,871,749 people in India spoke Nepali as their mother tongue. The largest populations were in West Bengal – 1,022,725 (+18.87% from 1991 Census), Assam – 564,790 (+30.58%), Sikkim – 338,606 (+32.05%), Uttarakhand – 355,029 (+255.53%), Arunachal Pradesh – 94,919 (+16.93%), Himachal Pradesh – 70,272 (+50.64%), Maharashtra – 63,480 (+59.69%), Meghalaya – 52,155 (+6.04%), Manipur – 45,998 (−1.08%), Nagaland – 34,222 (+6.04%), and Mizoram – 8,948 (+8.50%). As per the 1991 Census, the number of Nepali speakers in India was 2,076,645.
Arunachal Pradesh As per the 2001 Census, districts with the largest Nepali populations are
West Kameng – 13,580 (18.2% of the total population)
Lohit – 22,200 (15.77%), and
Dibang Valley – 15,452 (26.77%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Koronu (55.35%), Kibithoo (50.68%), Sunpura (42.28%), Vijoynagar (42.13%), and Roing (32.39%). As per the 2011 Census, districts with the largest
Nepali populations are
West Kameng – 14,333 (17.1% of the total population) Lohit – 22,988 (13.77%), and Dibang Valley – 14,271 (22.99%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Koronu (48.49%), Kibithoo (6.5%), Sunpura (34.47%), Vijoynagar (41.8%), and Roing (26.0%).
Assam During the 1991 Census, the districts with the largest concentrations were
Sonitpur – 91,631 (6.43%),
Tinsukia – 76,083 (7.91%), and
Karbi Anglong – 37,710 (5.69%). As per the 2001 Census, districts with the largest ethnic Nepali populations are Sonitpur – 131,261 (7.81% of the total population) Tinsukia – 87,850 (7.64%), and Karbi Anglong – 46,871 (5.76%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Sadiya (27.51%), Na Duar (16.39%), Helem (15.43%), Margherita (13.10%), and Umrangso (12.37%). As per the 2011 Census, districts with the largest ethnic Nepali populations are Sonitpur – 135,525 (7.04% of the total population) Tinsukia – 99,812 (7.52%), and Karbi Anglong – 51,496 (5.38%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Sadiya (26.2%), Na Duar (14.88%), Helem (14.35%), Margherita (13.47%), and Umrangso (12.46%).
Manipur As per the 2011 census, Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepali people are Sadar Hills West (33.0%), Saitu-Gamphazol (9.54%), and
Lamshang (10.85%). Districts with the largest Nepali population are Senapati – 39,039 (8.15%), Imphal West – 10,391 (2.01%) and Imphal East – 6,903 (1.51%). This is how the previous censuses counted the number of Nepali speakers in Manipur: • 1961 Census: 13,571 • 1971 Census: 26,381 • 1981 Census: 37,046 • 1991 Census: 46,500 • 2001 Census: 45,998 (*) • 2011 Census: 63,756
Meghalaya Gorkha population is mostly concentrated in the districts of
East Khasi Hills (37,000 or 4.48%) and
Ribhoi (10,524 or 4.07%). Tehsils with the largest concentration include Myliem (8.18%) and Umling (6.72%). Among the cities, the highest concentration of Nepali speakers can be found in
Shillong Cantonment (29.98%),
Shillong (9.83%),
Pynthorumkhrah (7.02%),
Nongmynsong (26.67%),
Madanrting (17.83%), and Nongkseh (14.20%). This is how the previous censuses counted the number of Nepali speakers in Meghalaya: • 1961: 32,288 • 1971: 44,445 • 1981: 61,259 • 1991: 49,186 • 2001: 52,155 • 2011: 54,716
Mizoram As per the 2011 Census, there are a total of 9,035 Gorkhas in Mizoram. Of this, 5,944 are concentrated in Tlangnuam Tehsil of Aizawl district, where they form 1.9% of the population. The Central Gorkha Mandir Committee operates a total of 13 Hindu temples in Mizoram and these are the only Hindu places of worship in the state.
Nagaland Most of the Nepali speaking population are found in the districts of
Dimapur (21,596 or 5.70%) and
Kohima (9,812 or 3.66%). Tehsils with the largest concentration are
Naginimora (7.48%), Merangmen (6.78%),
Niuland (6.48%), Kuhoboto (7.04%), Chümoukedima (7.07%), Dhansiripar (6.09%), Medziphema (9.11%), Namsang (8.81%), Kohima Sadar (6.27%), Sechü-Zubza (5.03%), and Pedi (7.61%).
Sikkim The state of
Sikkim is the only state in India with a majority ethnic Nepali population. The Sikkim census of 2011 found that Sikkim was the least populated state of India. Sikkim's population according to the 2011 Census was 610,577, and has grown by approximately 100,000 since the last census. The Nepali/Gorkhali language is the lingua franca of Sikkim, while Tibetan (Bhutia) and
Lepcha are spoken in certain areas. As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 453,819 speakers of various Tibetan languages (Nepali – 382,200,
Limbu – 38,733,
Sherpa – 13,681,
Tamang – 11,734 and
Rai – 7,471). Out of this, 20.14% (91,399) were Tibetan Limbu/Tamang, 6.23% (28,275) were Dalit and 73.63% including Manger are in General category. According to the census, there are a total of 53,703 Limbu and 37,696 Tamang in Sikkim, of whom a majority speak the
Nepali language as their mother tongue. Also, small numbers of Bhotia and Lepcha also speak the Nepali language as their mother tongue. As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 69,598 Bhotia in Sikkim (including Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung and Tibetan. etc), but only 58,355 were speaking languages such as Sikkimese and Sherpa. Out of the 42,909 Lepcha there were only 38,313 speakers for the Lepcha language.
Uttarakhand As per the 2011 census, the total number of Nepali language speakers is 106,399, constituting 1.1% of the total population of the state.
West Bengal As per the 2001 Census, there are a total of 1,034,038 ethnic Gorkhas in
West Bengal, of which 1,022,725 are speakers of the Nepali language and 11,313 are speakers of languages such as Tamang and Sherpa. The population in the
Darjeeling and
Kalimpong districts are 748,023 (46.48% of the total population) and
Jalpaiguri – 234,500 (6.99%). Most of the ethnic Nepali population in West Bengal live in the
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration region. About 7.56% of the Nepalis were Dalit, belonging to castes such as Kami and Sarki (population of 78,202 in 2001). The two tribes classified as Scheduled Tribe (Limbu and Tamang) constituted 16% of the Nepali population according to the census. The remaining 76% belonged to general category. As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 1,161,807 speakers of various Nepalese languages. Out of this 7.24% was Dalit (84,110) and 16.62% (193,050) were tribal Tamang/Limbu. Remaining 76.14% were General category.
Forced displacement Nepali-speaking people in the states of
Northeast India have faced violence and
ethnic cleansing. In 1967, more than 8,000 Nepali-speaking people were driven out of Mizoram, while more than 2,000 in Manipur met with the same fate in 1980. Tens of thousands of Nepali-speaking people were banished from Assam (in 1979) and Meghalaya (in 1987) by militant groups. The biggest displacement occurred in Meghalaya, when the
Khasi Students Union (KSU) targeted Nepali speakers living in the eastern part of the state. More than 15,000 Nepali speakers were driven out, while about 10,000 were reduced to living in subhuman life in the refugee camps of Shillong. Gorkha labourers in the coal mines in
Jowai were targeted, and as a result of their murders dozens of Gorkha children starved to death in the next few weeks. In 1980s, most of the Gorkha in Nagaland were forced to forfeit their land, and 200 of them were murdered near
Merapani in
Wokha district. ==Politics==