Voter education materials have been published in various local languages to effectively educate voters from different castes and communities is done in a good faith, the Election Commission (EC) has clarified.

According respect to all the indigenous nationalities is sensitive towards all mother languages spoken in Nepal as the constitution also recognizes all mother languages in the country as a national one, the poll body said in a statement on Sunday. The EC clarification follows grievances from the Maithali community on the use of word ‘Janani’ in the voter education materials published in Maithili language. They community has claimed that the word has a derogatory meaning for the Maithali women.

In the statement issued by the EC Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma, the EC has stated that the voter education materials have been published in various mother languages to impart proper information on the voting process to indigenous nationalities in their respective mother tongues.

The EC has also urged the concerned agencies to make an amendment to the words or connotations in the voter education materials if the meaning to the messages are distorted after being translated into local languages.

Expressing its high regard towards all languages in the country, the EC has also appealed to all to acknowledge the publication of voter education in various local languages in the positive light.