On Monday, September 8, 2014 at 8:19:47 PM UTC+5:30, DIPAK DE wrote:
CO-EXISTENCE OF CONCOCTED GORKHAS AND REAL NEPALESE: PERILOUS HARMONY
- DIPAK DE [HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST; M. PHIL IN HUMAN RIGHTS]
Like the ruler, the Gorkha National Liberation Front [GNLF] supremo Subash Ghisingh, the self-claimed leader of the Nepalese of Darjeeling hills, stood on the battlefield of Darjeeling hills surveying the devastated plight of his
ruthless bloody campaign, which was dubbed as divisive, anti-people, anti-national and anti-West Bengal state by most of the political parties of West Bengal. After the formation of unconstitutional Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988, every year on
27th July Nepalese of Darjeeling are observing Martyrs' Day commemorating the death of alleged 1,200 Nepalese, the sacrifice, for the cause of at first, for the creation of new country Gorkhaland, snatching out Darjeeling from India, thereafter for the
creation of Gorkhaland state bifurcating the state of West Bengal. This year [2014] also GNLF led by president Subash Ghisingh and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha [GJM] led by president Bimal Gurung observed the martyrs' Day on 27th July. In continuous smear
campaign against Bengal, Bimal Gurung in a show of defiance said, "Let Bengal's bullets kill me, I am not afraid. I care for the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for Gorkhaland and I will not be let their sacrifice go in vain. I will continue to
fight for Gorkhaland." Both Ghisingh and Gurung had never apologized to the citizens of India openly for the anti-national secessionist and criminal activities done during 1983-1988. During the bloody campaign up to 25th July, 1988 since 1986, from an
unauthenticated report about 300 to 800 Nepalese of GNL killed, about 250 persons of Communist Party of India [Marxist] party workers and supporters killed, about 90 persons of CRPF personnel and police forces personnel killed and injured about 140
persons, kidnapped about 25 persons and apprehended they were killed, Arson incidents on private property about 724 cases, Government Offices were attacked and destroyed about 274 cases, loss of property of about Rs.200 crore, Arms and ammunition
captured 10 cannons, SLR and Revolvers 212 pieces, Land Mines and Buby traps 543 pieces. After the change of guards in 1947, the matter of philosophy of cruelty and its allied activities, which ran during British colonial rules, would have to be stopped.
There is no pride to declare himself a Gurkha i.e. Nepali Mercenary, in free India. In 1947, Darjeeling hills recalls the saying of Emperor Ashok [declared the stated aims of his rule], which was in Rock Edict IV - For many hundreds of years in the past,
slaughter of animals, cruelty to living creatures, discourtesy to relatives, and disrespect for priests and ascetics have been increasing. But now, because of King Priyadarsi's practice of Dharma, the sound of war drums has become the call to Dharma [
rather than to war], summoning the people to exhibitions of the chariots of the gods, elephants, fireworks, and other divine displays. Similarly, now, in 1947, India achieved freedom impliedly declared that intermixing with the Indians is urgently
necessary towards a embrace of peace and harmony with Indians especially Bengalese.
Bimal Gurung, the supremo of GJM, reportedly once the Subash Ghisingh's blue-eyed boy and since 2007 the bête-noir. GJM is the break-away group of GNLF and it floated on 7th October, 2007. After the formation of GJM, started the anarchy
in Darjeeling hills in the name of agitation and reportedly at the same time tied up GJM's relation with the other two separatist forces of North Bengal, who are demanding Kamtapur state and Greater Cooch Behar state carving out of West Bengal state. On
3rd March, 2008, newspaper The Times of India reported as - "Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP) and Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP) have tied up to push forward their campaign for statehood in their respective
areas - Gorkhaland, Kamtapur and Greater Cooch Behar. The announcement came on Thursday [28th February] during a press conference at Darjeeling, which was attended by GJM president Bimal Gurung, KPP chief Atul Roy and GCDP leader Asutosh Barma. It was a
historic occasion: Kamtpuris and Gorkhas came together for the first time in 53 years. KPP and GCDP are part of an alliance under Greater Kamta United Forum, which includes All Koch Rajbongshi Student's Union."
A unanimous resolution was adopted in Kolkata on 18th August, 1986 against the movement of Subash Ghisingh and this meeting was convened by Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu. This is the details of that meeting -
This meeting unanimously holds that the Gorkhaland movement, led by Gorkha National Liberation Front is divisive, anti-people, anti-national and anti-state. This movement has done immense harm to the interest of the Nepali-speaking
people during the last few months. As a result, the economy of the district of Darjeeling has been very adversely affected. This meeting condemns this agitation in strong terms.
This agitation, the meeting feels, is against the interest of the entire Nepali community of both the hills and plains. This movement has enormously damaged the cause of the development of the hill areas of Darjeeling. This
meeting appeals to the organizers of the Gorkhaland movement to call off their agitation immediately. This meeting calls upon the people of district of Darjeeling and its adjoining areas to come forward to isolate the Gorkhaland agitators from the
general masses of these areas.
This meeting resolves that a joint programme by all Political Parties against the Gorkhaland movement be undertaken in the entire State of West Bengal including Darjeeling. The meeting requests the Chief Minister to take initiative in
this matter.
List of Participants at the All Party Meeting Convened by The Chief Minister, West Bengal - held at Rotunda, Writers' Buildings, Calcutta on 18 August, 1986 at 10.30 A.M. Ministers of Government of West Bengal present:
1. Shri Jyoti Basu, Chief Minister, West Bengal, who presided over the meeting.
2. Shri Nani Bhattacherjee, 3. Shri Nirmal Bose, 4. Shri Patit Paban Pathak, 5. Shri Dawa Lama, 6. Shri Subhash Chakraborty, 7. Shri Bimalananda Mukherjee.
Representatives of Political Parties present:
1. West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (I),
2. Lok Dal
3. Bharatiya Janata Party
4. Forward Block
5. Revolutionary Socialist Party
6. West Bengal Socialist Party
7. Janata Party
8. Socialist Unity Centre of India
9. Communist Party of India
10. Democratic Socialist Party
11. Biplabi Bangla Congress
12. Congress (S)
13. Revolutionary Communist Party of India
14. Communist Party of India (Marxist)
It is to be noted, with proper attention, that in this meeting the people who are agitating recognized as Nepali community, not as Gorkha community.
Smeared campaign against Bengal and Bengalese by the Nepalese of Darjeeling had not only continuously done since 1980 after the formation of Pranta/Prantiya Parishad and GNLF in July,1980 but actually this derogatory activities started by
the Nepalese leader Damber Singh Gurung, the president of All Indian Gurkha League, openly in Kalimpong in May, 1947 in a public meeting before the Independence of India. He said, the Britishers are quitting India by June 1948 and the Nepalese must
prepare from now on to face the situation; he had learnt through experience that Nepalese could not get anything from Bengalese.........the Bengalese are worse than Britishers: the Bengalese will be our administrators and will try to keep us down all the
time.........but I can see from now that we will suffer more under Bengalese. This All India Gurkha League was formed in March, 1943 and in 7th paragraph of its programme it was mentioned - to maintain contact with the independent kingdom of Nepal, the
mother country of the Gurkhas, with devotion and loyalty. During British rule in India, Nepalese and Gurkhas interchangeably used to identify Nepalese. From this programme it is appeared that Nepalese of Darjeeling had loyalty to their mother country
Nepal and had no loyalty to India. These Nepalese were faithful, reliable person, subservient to British colonials. At the meeting of the formation of this Gurkha League on 15th March, 1943, Damber Singh Gurung said that Gurkha race was well known to all
and Gurkha meant a subject of Nepal territory, which included all those who come from Nepal. It appears from this speech that during British rule in India, Nepalese have no citizenship of India. Subash Ghising started scathing attacks on Bengal and
Bengalese over the annexation of Darjeeling district with Bengal. The fact is, Darjeeling district with its present geographical area, has been annexed with Bengal in 1866 i.e. about 148 years Darjeeling district is with Bengal and due to British
colonial policy, Bengalese were debarred to settled there in-mass. At that time and present also, Bengalese are ready to settle in Darjeeling hills. Now, three sub-divisions of Darjeeling district in hill region, mostly occupied by Indian Nepalese and
foreigner Nepalese jointly rolling all the obnoxious movements in Darjeeling hills.
It was the campaign in 1986-88 in Darjeeling hills described as the bloody campaign in Indian soil in civilian dress by the Nepalese, when West Bengal state was ruled by Left Front government i.e. semi-communist group. All the political
parties of India, reportedly against this government. So during the movement of Subash Ghisingh, these parties had not taken effective exercise to resist this movement but keen on keeping watch on the bloody movement with criticism the left front
government and was interested on how this government weakened by this movement. "Stolen kisses are always sweetest," - Leigh Hunt. Inactiveness of the political parties except Left Front against this movement were nothing but the sweetest kiss to Subash
Ghisingh. An International writer John Whelpton in his book 'History of Nepal' stated that the leaders of the agitation eventually settled for limited autonomy while still remaining part of West Bengal, and the central government had seemed at times
almost to welcome the movement as a tool to be used against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) administration in Calcutta. However, the whole episode raised suspicion in Indian minds that some Nepalese still nursed the dream of a 'Greater Nepal'
reaching all along the Eastern Himalayas. Ambedkar, Nehru and Gandhi and other leaders of the freedom movement of India looked to the past to re-interpret the future. The Nepalese leaders of Darjeeling also looked to the past what their leaders effort to
snatch away Darjeeling district from Bengal as well as from India started since 1907, at the crucial time of Bengal during partition declaration by British colonials. The Nepalese of Darjeeling in 1907 wanted snatching away of Bengal at that time.
A poem on Darjeeling in 1906 [writer unknown] -
When you feel, below, dead-beat, / Overpowered by trying heat, / Worn by day, at night no rest; / surely then 'tis manifest, / you should start, at once take train; / Come above and health again! / Here, in Flora's Grove be instant;
/ prospect beauteous near and distant. / Ferns and orchids thriving prime, / scented blossoms sweet as thyme; / pleasant Mall, Chowrusta clear; / Tempting resting place is here! / See the snows' celestial wreath! / search the deep ravines beneath. / Hear
the raging torrents' wrath. / Thundering down each rocky path, / leaping, frantic, made with glee. / Bounding wild to greet the sea. / Come! Darjeeling, Queen of Health I / Cedes to all her precious wealth; / Vigour, spirit, bloom, desire, / strength,
and zeal to view, admire / scenes that sentient souls uplift. / Great Creator, Thine the gift! / Mountain breezes off the snow, / Pure, invigorating blow. / Respite here from heat and strife, / gives a new-born lease of life! / Health's Queen pleads from
this, here throne, / welcomes all to joy her zone!
During the bloody campaign Subash Ghisingh interchangeably used Nepalese and Gorkha, like the use of Nepalese and Gurkha during British colonial rule in India. In a meeting on 13th March, 1986 at Ghoom near Darjeeling, GNLF had adopted an
eleven-point programme of action. In this programme three points were as - (1) to observe a 'Black Flag Day' on 13.4.86 in protest against alleged atrocities and discrimination perpetrated on the Indian Nepalis; (2) to give a 72-hour Bandh call from 12th
to 14th May, 1986 to highlight the constitutional and just demand for Gorkhaland; (3) the Gorkhas of Darjeeling and the plains will not observe or celebrate the 15th August, 26th January, Gandhi Jayanti, Netaji Jayanti and other National Celebration
until and unless the government of India concedes. According to human rights' philosophy, international community Gorkhaland means land of the Gorkha mercenaries i.e. land of the Nepali mercenaries. To the political parties of West Bengal and also to the
Government of West Bengal, to the Subash Ghisingh, to the GNLF, to the Nepalese of Darjeeling district the existence of people of Gorkha community/race or Gorkha ethnic/tribal group in Darjeeling district was not known up to July, 1988. In all party
meeting at Calcutta in August, 1986 mentioned as Nepali community. Government of West Bengal in unambiguous term announced in writing that it has little knowledge on - who is a Gorkha? The white paper of this government in 1987 states - it is also
important to note that the expression 'Gorkha' correctly applies to a small section of the Nepali-speaking population originally coming from one particular area of Nepal. Since a high proportion of Nepali-speaking soldiers were recruited by the British
during their colonial regime from that area, the latter wrongly termed all recruits from Nepal as 'Gorkhas'. This is called perfect ignorance. There is no area in Nepal from where the high proportion of people recruited as soldiers and called Gorkha -
actually it is the district of Gorkha, erstwhile Gorkha kingdom, where people before 1769 were called 'Gorkhali' the war/battle cry "Ayoo Gorkhali, Joy Joy Mahakali" of the Nepalese till date. During British colonial rule the Nepalese recruited from
Nepal as mercenaries, mainly from five ethnic/tribal groups such as Gurung, Magar, Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar and from one castes such as Thakuris as Kshatriya caste and Chhetria as Kshatriya caste, in Gurkha regiments of British-Indian Army and called them
Gurkha soldiers or Gurkhas.
In 1986 Government of West Bengal writes [in white paper] that until the recent happenings, the four major communities in the hills and plains of Darjeeling district - the Nepalis, the Tribals, the Bengalis, and the original inhabitants (
Mech, Rajbansi, Lepcha, Bhutia etc.) lived peacefully and amicably............The Nepali community of hardworking peasants toiling on a difficult terrain, devoted industrial workers in the tea gardens and valiant soldiers earning distinction in many wars,
had no difficulty in working side by side with the Bengalis, the tribal, and other Indians. This government impliedly stated that there is no existence of people of Gorkha community in Darjeeling district. In spite of that fact, this government inserted
the word 'Gorkha' in a heinous way in 'Darjeeling Hill Council' and signed as "Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council" [DGHC]. A personal choice was made by Subash Ghisingh or perhaps a politically strategic decision was taken by him that changed the Nepalese
community history in India and left the Nepalese community in ever conflict and perilous environment. Reportedly he proposed after 25th July, 1988, to label the Nepalese of Darjeeling as 'Gorkha' in place of Nepalese like a Taliban leader, without taking
consent of the Nepalese of Darjeeling and adjoining areas. The utter violation of natural right to declare himself/herself as Nepali because of Nepali origin. Government of India and Government of West Bengal accepted his proposal to buy peace. This is a
perilous decision. This acceptance of proposal is the nature of crime against mankind, Government of India issued a concocted Gazette Notification in August, 1988 to justify the decision to accept the labelling 'Gorkha'. No Gazette Notification, no
Administrative order, no Agreement, no Resolution in Parliament/Assembly can create ethnic/tribal group or race or community. Through natural process ethnic/tribal group or race is created. Ethnic/tribal group or race or community should be real, should
be natural AND should not be unreal and unnatural. Existence of concocted, fictitious Gorkha community/ race or Gorkha ethnic/ tribal group means destruction of Nepali community. As a result, there is a differences of opinion, division, anxiety, discord,
conflict, disharmony among Nepalese of India, which has been publicly announced by the intellectuals of Nepalese in April, 2006 in a national seminar at Gangtok, Sikkim state. In a panel discussion on 'crisis of nomenclature' in Nepalese community in
April 21, 2006 at Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok, it is apparent that the Nepalese community is emotionally and politically divided on this issue.
Date: 08/09/2014 Dipak De
[Human rights activist; M. Phil in human rights; member of Amnesty International]
Chauvinists from Bengal have been engaged to write books after books with jugglery of words to distort the identity of the Darjeeling people, Gorkha people and they are distorting history to call the Gorkhas foreigners and immigrants. Time will come when
Gorkhas will ask when did the Bangla bhasis come to bangal, how they did come. Dipak De, Gorkhas are not asking for separate country as you are making it look like, they are asking fora separate state. Why are you misleading the common Bangalese ? Public
money is wasted on your M.Phil.
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