OPEN LETTER
The Prime Minister of India,New Delhi.
The Union Home Minister,New Delhi.
The Chief Minister of West Bengal & All the States.
Mr. Manohar Tirkey, M.P (RSP)
Governor of West Bengal
Re : Gorkhaland Movement (Stop Parleys) Immediately.
Respected Sir,
As a grass-root level journalist I am watching the "Gorkhaland"movement since 1986. I would like to draw your kind attention on the following points.
1. When it is clear that there is no community/ race/ ethnicity in thename of GORKHA in the existing world then how our Govt. is considering the demand of so called GORKHALAND AGITATORS and why the political parleys with GORKHA PARTIES.
2. GORKHA is a district of NEPAL and GORKHA TOWN" is the Head Quarter of the Gorkha District. How a "GORKHA" named the GORKHA District. Howa "GORKHA" named movement / Anarchy/ Chaos can be tolerated in India!
3. Ancient time there was a kingdom named "GORKHA" in Nepal and the old palace is still there, just adjacent to GORKHA TOWN. The then King of GORKHA kingdom Prithwinarayan Shah is the founder of today's greater Nepal by conquering several small & medium sized kingdoms of that time. If Nepalese are interested to remember that lion hearted king, they can easily change the name of their country by putting'GORKHALAND" in place of Nepal. A part of nepali speaking people inIndia, those who are identifying themselves as "GORKHA", such section of people may easily go there as because the treaty of 1950(INDO-NEPAL RRIENDSHIP TREATY) allows both the Indians & Nepalese same right of emigration. You will find from the history that members of the GORKHA regiments fought against India in the several occasions. Even Rabindranath Tagore condemned such type of aggression by calling them butchers. You will find a piece of speech which is delivered by"GORKHA" leader, Mr. Damber Singh Gurung in the CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY on 19th. December 1946. I am quoting a portion of that speech where Mr. Damber Singh Gurung telling : " Sir, the problem of the Gurkhas is quite different …… . Though we are made to do the dirtiest work in India for which we have been called Butchers by Indians, though hundreds of thousands of GORKHA lives were sacrificed to keep the British Rule in India and elsewhere, nothing has been done by the British Govt. so far the uplift of the GURKHAS"
From every corner it is established that regimented GURKHA / GORKHA means SLAVES. And till date a section of the Nepalese are doing the same slavery as soldier, security personnel, in the various part ofthe world. When 'GORKHA" is foreign place and it is implied that GURKHA/GORKHA means slaves, then how a Govt. can allow such movement a demand in the name of GORKHA.
From every corner it is established that regimented GURKHA / GORKHA means SLAVES. And till date a section of the Nepalese are doing the same slavery as soldier, security personnel, in the various part ofthe world. When 'GORKHA" is foreign place and it is implied that GURKHA/GORKHA means slaves, then how a Govt. can allow such movement a demand in the name of GORKHA.
4. While 'GORKHA' is not a Community/ Race / Ethnicity etc. and there is no anthropological history of Gorkha at all, then GORKHALAND movement is not an issue at all.
5. When "GORKHA" is a landmark identity of Nepal and having a district in the name, then how one can demand "GORKHALAND" in India!
6. It is fact that Britishers recruited youths from Nepal's Gorkha area in their army as slaves and hence the regiment of those slaves named 'GORKHA' (GURKHA). But it does not mean that the GORKHA is the community or the race or the ethnicity. It is clear that Britishers uses the "GORKHA/ GURKHA" term as the identity the nepali speaking Khukri fighters (soldiers).
7. While it is proved that 'GORKHA" is not a community/ race/ethnicity and "GORKHA" is a fictitious identity, then Govt. is duty bound to cancel the Gazette Notification, dated 23.08.1988 in regard to GORKHA citizenship. In this context I would like to mention that,the notification which was published by Indira Mishra, the then Joint Secretary to the Govt.of India was unconstitutional. No one of our country has that right to issue the birth certificate for a community through that procedure. The 'GORKHA" named community which was fathered by Mr. Subhas Ghisingh (President of GNLF) and pushed to itas Gazette Notification by Mr. Buta Singh, the then Union HomeMinister with the connivance of the then Darjeeling M.P Mr. Inderjit Khuller. Mr. Bhuta & and Mr. Inderjit, both the Punjabis have made this criminal offence by making the safe unconstitutional passage of fictitious "GORKHA" community. My humble submission is, it is the duty of our judiciary as well as all the peoples' representatives to check how the things like "Gorkha" citizenship notification can be made and why not the culprits will be booked for this anti-national offence.
8. While GORKHA is not a Community/ Caste / Ethnicity then how there will be political parties like GORKHA JANAMUKTI MORCHA, GORKHANATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT, ALL INDIA GORKHA LEAGUE ETC. While GORKHA is a fictitious identity, then how you, the Government making Political Parleys with the "GORKHA" named parties and negotiating theso called GORKHALAND demand. In this context I would like to apprise you that in the Darjeeling Hills you will find no national political parties, as because Darjeeling is a lawless land now, and creating terror is the routine work of GORKHA JANAMUKTI MORCHA led by itsPreesident Mr. Bimal Gurung. Those parties are still having their activities in the Darjeeling Hills, they may be different in their names, but political demands are same. All are in favour of a separate statehood which called "GORKHALAND".
9. You will be astonished to know that the GORKHALAND demand is a long dreamed conspiracy in the name of Nepali Speaking people's sentiment.Actually the so called "GORKHA" leaders want "GORKHALAND" as separate country by creating anarchy with the help of illegally settled foreigners. To achieve their target, the leaders as well as the conspirators are trying to make their roads for that ultimate destination. The target is ethnic cleansing of Bengali Community and the various Tribal Groups. Please go through these points and you will find the answer.
No one can deny that everyday a large number of Nepalese (Citizen ofNepal) are coming to India through various open borders. As because there is no passport or Visa system and INDO-NEPAL border remains open, taking the undue advantage of INDO-NEPAL FRIENDSHIP TREATY,1950 the emigrated Nepalese are settling in India by managing the citizenship through Ration Card/ EPIC Card/ enlisting as voter and even enjoying the APL/ BPL status. You please go through Census Report and you will find that, in 1951 there were 88,958 Nepali speaking Indian populations in the Darjeeling District whereas in 1961 thepopulation of Nepali speaking people in the District jumped to3,69,130. The growth rate was 314.95%. Further in 1971, the population(i.e. Nepali speaker's population) jumped to 4,46,446. In 1981, it was5,40,444, in 1991 it was 6,37,874 and in 2001, it was 7,78,528. You will find more than 775% population growth of Nepali speakers took place within 50 years in Darjeeling Constituency only. And when you will get the 2011 Census figure that will show you the Nepali speaking population of the district to be more than 14.00 lacs. Out of 14.00 lacs there will be a minimum of 10 to 11 lacs of those who are from Nepal taking the advantage of 1950's friendship treaty. If you wish to add the figure of Nepalese entered in the DOOARS and other parts of West Bengal, then the number of Nepalese who settled as Indian will beabout 15.00 lacs. So, unless you are identifying these Non-IndianNepalese you can not sit with Nepali speaking leaders as because you do not know the person you are talking whether they are Nepali-speaking persons of Indian Citizen or are Citizen of Nepal. For your ready reference I would like to submit below the quotation from"GORKHALAND MOVEMENT A CLANDENSTINE INVASION" by Dr. D.P. Kar"By 1991 Nepali census, the number of emigrants from Nepal had been6,58,337 of which 89.2% i.e. 5,87,236 persons had gone to India.Within the period from 1991-2001 the number of emigrants from Nepalhad been 7,62,181 and nearly 68% of them i.e. 5,18,283 personsmigrated to India".
The emigrants of Nepal in many areas of North Bengal have already out-numbered the local population leading to ethnic tensions and sometimes violence. Take just the instance for verification, please goto TOTOPARA of Jalpaiguri District while the land of the TOTOPARA is exclusively enmarked for the primitive TOTO tribe. You will see there half of the land is occupied by the Nepali people and it's unfortunate to hear that TOTO tribes are speaking Nepali! Both central Govt. andState Govt. of West Bengal are aware of the fact that in December 2009 one NGO named "Janachetana" has filed Public Interest Litigation in the KOLKATA HIGH COURT, where the petition raised questions regarding the citizenship status of "Treaty Benficiery Napali Nationals in India and prayed for directions from the Hon'ble Court to the respondents so as to prevent flagrant violation of the Art. 326 of the Constitution,Representation of Peoples Act and Foreigners' Act etc. Except Election Commission, all the other respondents failed to submit their affidavit in opposition and remained conspicuously silent over the issue. It is also heard that "Janachetna" has already moved one more petition praying for an interim order restraining the respondents from holding the tripartite meetings with any of the outfits claiming to be the representatives of the Nepalese whose citizenship status are disputed,debatable and yet to be ascertained according to the Constitution of India., Citizenship Act, the Foreigners' Act, the relevant Treaties and the Central Govt.'s Gazette Notification dated 23rd. August 1988-till the final disposal of the pending Writ petition by the Hon'bleHigh Court. Sir, I am in constraint to say that this sort of disregard and defiance to the judicial process from the Govt. Administration will only make people loose their confidence on the system of judiciary in the country.
The emigrants of Nepal in many areas of North Bengal have already out-numbered the local population leading to ethnic tensions and sometimes violence. Take just the instance for verification, please goto TOTOPARA of Jalpaiguri District while the land of the TOTOPARA is exclusively enmarked for the primitive TOTO tribe. You will see there half of the land is occupied by the Nepali people and it's unfortunate to hear that TOTO tribes are speaking Nepali! Both central Govt. andState Govt. of West Bengal are aware of the fact that in December 2009 one NGO named "Janachetana" has filed Public Interest Litigation in the KOLKATA HIGH COURT, where the petition raised questions regarding the citizenship status of "Treaty Benficiery Napali Nationals in India and prayed for directions from the Hon'ble Court to the respondents so as to prevent flagrant violation of the Art. 326 of the Constitution,Representation of Peoples Act and Foreigners' Act etc. Except Election Commission, all the other respondents failed to submit their affidavit in opposition and remained conspicuously silent over the issue. It is also heard that "Janachetna" has already moved one more petition praying for an interim order restraining the respondents from holding the tripartite meetings with any of the outfits claiming to be the representatives of the Nepalese whose citizenship status are disputed,debatable and yet to be ascertained according to the Constitution of India., Citizenship Act, the Foreigners' Act, the relevant Treaties and the Central Govt.'s Gazette Notification dated 23rd. August 1988-till the final disposal of the pending Writ petition by the Hon'bleHigh Court. Sir, I am in constraint to say that this sort of disregard and defiance to the judicial process from the Govt. Administration will only make people loose their confidence on the system of judiciary in the country.
Sir, I am not going to mention here the activities of Mr. Buta Singh who acted as against Mr. Subhas Ghisingh in the earlier days. I would like to just intimate you that this is not the way to purchase peacein the Darjeeling Hill by giving them interim set up (autonomous) which straightly speaks SEPARATE STATE, will be the final one.
Sir, I know that I will not get any answer of this letter , but please keep it in mind that I will fight tooth & nail against all the odd she, who may be the political players. I am bound to do so as a true citizen of this country. Sir, while you are wrongly ready to give a council, please delete the 'GORKHA" word from DARJEELING HILL COUNCIL. And for your information, please note that late Rajiv Gandhi and late Jyoti Basu both were dead-against of inclusion of "GORKHA" word as because they never heard "GORKHA", the community which was fathered by"messiah" Subhas Ghisingh.
You see GORKHALAND movement is in no way similar to any other movementof separate State anywhere in India. In the context of GORKHALAND you can clearly identify that it is the dacoity, Luliganism, Gundaism of two sections of people of a simple linguistic Community. One sectionis beneficiaries of Indo-Nepal friendship treaty and the other sectionis a portion of true Indian Nepali Speaking citizen.
Sir, please remember the Sikkim, the State which having its first language being Nepali has made a strict barrier to the entry of Nepalese Beneficiaries , while Behar, West Bengal and U.P. are stillgiving the open border and free entry.
Sir, while you have accommodated Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule, how you can recognize "GORKHA"? Who are they?
With regards.
TUSHAR PRADHAN
C/O Uttar Bangla Sambad
18A/1A, Manoharpukur Road
Kolkata- 700 026.,
Mobile : 9830408119
e-mail : charjeeling@gmail.com, charjeeling@yahoo.co.in
Blog : http://banglasambad.blogspot/
