Showing posts with label Gorkhas in India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gorkhas in India. Show all posts

GORKHA PRIDE: Former Indian Hockey Captain Bharat Chettri Wins Dhyanchand Award

9:56 PM

Every sports person worth his/her salt dreams of representing the National Team, very few get to become a part of that privileged group of select individuals who are called on to do the national duty. Rarer still are the chances even amongst those very few individuals who have been called on national duty to be asked to Lead the National Team .
Bharat Chettri Wins Dhyanchand Award

But the rarest of those honours, that every sporting individual dreams of all life long, is to lead the team in the Olympics.

Bharat Chettri - local Kalimpong lad has lived all the dreams any sports person can dream of.

He has the distinction of being the first goalie ever in the history of Indian hockey to lead Team India at the Olympics. He has participated in and won many international tournaments for India.

Yesterday, President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented Dhyan Chand Award 2018 to one of our National Icons Shri Bharat Kumar Chettri in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution for the promotion of Hockey.

The Dhyan Chand Award, officially known as Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games, is the lifetime achievement sporting honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after Dhyan Chand (1905–79), an Indian field hockey player who scored more than 1000 goals during a career which spanned over 20 years from 1926 to 1948.

It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their contributions to sport both during their active sporting career and after retirement.

We Congratulate Bharat sir for his wonderful achievement, and for being so phenomenally inspirational.

Via The DC

The First Indian Gorkha Ambassador - Nina Tshering La

2:05 PM
ACHIEVEMENT - PROUD GORKHA

Nina Tshering La – 1st Indian Ambassador From Darjeeling Gorkha Community
Smt Nina Tshering La was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa, on 10th of July 2018. She is the first Indian Ambassador to be appointed from the Darjeeling Gorkha community.
Nina Tshering La
Nina Tshering La – 1st Indian Ambassador From Darjeeling Gorkha Community

Being the proud daughter of “Fire Brigade ko Saila Baba and Saili Aama”., Smt Nina is the second of six siblings. Her father worked in the Darjeeling Fire Brigade. He passed away in 2000. Her mother, who lives in Delhi is a proud mother today.

Smt Nina schooled in Loreto Convent Darjeeling and completed her Master’s degree in the French language from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is married to Shri Rinzeen La, who is also from Darjeeling, studied in Goethals Kurseong and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Jawaharlal Nehru University. Mr La gave up his promising career in Air India to support and accompany his wife. They have a 25-year-old son who after completing his MBA is working in Hyderabad.

Nina grew up in a little hamlet called Haridass Hatta below Loreto Convent School, in the love and care of her maternal family comprising St. Teresa School’s Dhansari Gurama who passed away recently and Shri Sisir Dewan Sir of Takdah Cantonment and Kamal Kumar Gurung of Himalayan travels, who today is more than a brother to her.

Smt Nina Tshering La presented her credential letters to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 11th August and formally took up charge as Ambassador of India to the DRC.

We are proud of Smt. Nina beyond measures and share the happiness in Congratulating her with all of you. Our daughters have always sprinted ahead in the front line of our community and broken many barriers, while creating many moments of great pride and honour for us. Smt. Nina has brought us one such moment which shall remain with us and inspire more of our daughters and also sons to achieve greater things in life.

Via TheDC

Whom Shall We Remember Today?

3:01 PM
Writes - Jyoti Thapa Mani

“A nation’s culture resides in the heart and soul of its people” -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 1869-1948

For the last two years, I have been penning Independence Day articles for TheDC, hailing heroes and heroines from the Indian Gorkha community who fought for India’s freedom.  This year I feel a vacuum. Because I feel we are still struggling more than ever before.


Recently, I attended a panel discussion on ‘In today’s globalised world, what role does nationalism play in India’s context?’ A mouthful of words, but essentially I think, it was about how nationalistic we are in this global age. One panellist said that nationalism is about the national bird, animal, dress, anthem and khichri. Another said it was about remembering our freedom struggle against the ‘other’, meaning the British rule. And what a costly affair it was, as freedom came with a big rider—the division of India and Pakistan based on religion.  A criterion, which after seventy-two years, appears as so very wrong. Millions were rendered homeless as they staggered across the borders by foot, on bullock carts, in trains and buses under the onslaught of massive violence and suffering. Lives, families and belongings were lost in the mayhem to reach a new homeland as per their religious identity. The governments in their hurry failed at maintaining a peaceful exchange.

After the British ‘other’, new ‘others’ took its place. Many Indians are still struggling for their identity. Some inside before 1947 are still crying for recognition. On the other hand, millions of refugees continue to pour into India. Some intellectuals say India is a huge tent where everyone can be accommodated. Others say sorry there is no more space in the tent.  Some expostulate that India stands for compassion. Clearly, idealism and reality knock heads in many ways and no one sees the middle path. Power and money appear to be the new nationalism. Nobody talks about the need to strengthen nationalism in terms of the Indian citizens feeling at home.

Millions of Indians born and raised in India go abroad and take oaths such as “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America”. Where does the Indian nationalism go then?

Either, there are those living in the world of ‘global opportunity-nationalism’ or clinging to archaic forms of racial insularity by dominating the minority. Dirty words like fascism are still surviving under new names. Leaders try hard to convince that we are a multinational and multicultural state because it sounds so good and upwardly mobile.  But murky waters lie deep beneath. Nationalism has different connotations for everyone and ironically the government has to force Indians to stand for the anthem in movie halls. Terms like the nation, nation-state, state, global citizen are weighing down or buoying up mindsets.

How nationalistic do we Indian Gorkhas feel? We are the country’s sterling defence force, but socially we are still perceived as immigrants from Nepal, foreigners on Indian soil. Despite the fact, that we have been citizens of this land for more than two hundred years. Our Indian identity on the face of it is as vague as a peel-off beauty mask. Funny thing is that while millions of Indians are migrating to the west, we are still here struggling to be accepted as Indians.  Its been a year now since the last agitation for Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling Hills witnessed yet another saga of dead bodies, persecution, humiliation and forceful crackdown. The Gorkhas of Darjeeling Hills are still fighting for independence from the ‘other’ being West Bengal government. Ironical, because the same government allows foreign nationals from Bangladesh to pour in millions and work without even a work permit. Bangladesh and India have no such treaty facilitating this.

So whom shall we remember today?

Shall we remember the 1947 era Gorkha freedom fighters for India’s Independence? They include patriots such as Amar Singh Thapa, Agam Singh Giri, Bhagat Bir Lama, Bhim Singh Rana, Balbhadra Chhetri, Bairagi Baba, Bhairav Singh Lama, Buddhiman, Bir Bahadur Gurung, Bishan Singh Khatri, Bishan Singh Rana, Bishnu Lal Upadhayay, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, Bhagwan Singh Thapa, Bhim Bahadur Khadka, Bhim Lal Sharma, Chandra Kumar Sharma, Chabilal Upadhyay, Dal Bahadur Giri, Dig Bir Singh Ramudamu, Dalbir Singh Lohar, Dhruba Singh Thapa, Devi Prasad Sharma, Dharmananda Upadhyay Mishra, Damber Singh Hingman, Gorey Khan, Gaga Tshering Dukpa, Gopal Singh Rana, Gopal Singh Shahi, Hari Prashad Upadhayay, Harish Chhetri, Hoshiyar Singh Karki, Hari Prashad, Hira Singh Khatri, Ishwarananda Gorkha, Indrani Thapa, Jung Bir Sapkota, Jai Narayan Upadhayay, Kumud Chandra Gorkha, Krishna Bahadur Sunwar, Khadga Bahadur Singh Bista, Laxman Limbu, Lal Bahadur Basnet, Man Bahadur Thapa , Mohan Singh Thapa , Mahabir Giri, Man Bahadur Rai, Maya Devi Chhetri, Niranjan Singh Chettri, Norbu Lama, Neetanand Tim Sinha, Pratiman Singh Lama, Parash Ram Thapa, Putlimaya Devi, Pushpa Kumar Ghisingh, Punna Singh Thakur, Padam Prasad Dhungel, Prem Singh Bista, Ratan Singh Lama, Ram Lal Upadhyay, Ram Singh Gurung, Shyam Bahadur Thapa, Samsher Singh Bhandari, Shyam Singh Shahi, Shiv Singh Thapa, Sher Bahadur Thapa, Sher Bahadur Allay, Shanker Dev Sharma, Savitri Devi, Thakur Prasad Kumai, Tej Bahadur Thapa (1), Tej Bahadur Thapa (2) and Tej Bahadur Subba.

Or shall we remember the INA freedom fighters from the 2/1 Gorkha Rifles? Including, the zealous INA Major Durga Malla, INA Captain Dal Bahadur Thapa, INA Captain Ram Singh Thakur, Bhim Singh Rana, Man Bahadur Thapa, Mohan Singh Thapa, Gopal Singh Shahi, Shaheed Shiam Bahadur Thapa and about forty-six more names.

Post 1947, do we remember the one thousand two hundred and one (1201) martyrs of the Gorkhaland agitation?  They include the thirteen unfortunate people killed by police firing in 1986 in Kalimpong and so many more with bullets shot straight to the head by WB police forces.

Or do we remember in recent times those killed in the 2017 Strike for Gorkhaland?  They include amongst many, the names of Bimal Sashankar of Goke, Mahesh Gurung of Relling, Sunil Rai of Kaijaley, Tashi Bhutia of Sonada, Suraj Bhushal of Tung Sung, Samir Gurung of Singamari, Ashok Tamang of Lewis Jubilee, Asish Tamang of Sukhiapokhri and Dawa Tshering Bhutia of Pedong.

Via TheDC

Bimal Gurung's message on Independence Day

12:21 PM
Bimal Gurung have released a press statement on the occasion on 72nd Independence Day. 

Following is the press release :-

On behalf of all the Gorkhas spread across our nation, I (Bimal Gurung) wish you all a very Happy Independence Day.

The commemoration of Independence Day is a very personal experience for all the Indian Gorkha families, as every family has sacrificed a member to uphold the freedom and independence of our nation.
Bimal Gurung's message on Independence Day
Bimal Gurung 

From the very first Gorkha Freedom Martyr Subedar Niranjan Chhetri of Manipur to INA Major Durga Malla of Dehradun. From organizing labourers in the coal mines of Bihar as Helen Lepcha to blowing up British Tanks in Burma as INA Janbaz Dal Martyrs Sabitri Thapa and Indreni Thapa. From giving music to Indian National Anthem as INA Capt Ram Singh Thakuri of Himachal to helping draft the constitution of our great nation as Adv. Ari Bahadur Gurung of Darjeeling and thousands others like them, the glorious Gorkha contributions to the Freedom Movement of India is what inspires the present day Gorkhas to carry on, with the same sense of patriotism and sense of duty towards our nation.

Each day thousands of Gorkha men and women put their life at risk to protect our nation from inimical forces, and they do so with the same pride and joy, with which our ancestors had fought to secure the freedom of our nation from the colonialists.

Today as we celebrate the Independence Day, I request you to take a moment to thank all those brave men and women who are serving as soldiers in the army, navy, airforce, paramilitary forces and police, and their families whose sacrifices make it possible for us to remain independent.

While we are today celebrating the 72nd Independence Day, I want to draw the attention of our nation towards the plight of minority Gorkhas, Adivasis, and Rajbanshis in North Bengal. Today, all our fundamental rights have been curtailed and all the provisions of our constitution that guarantees us to have a say in our nation has been snatched away by the West Bengal government. While the nation is celebrating our Independence Day thousands of Gorkhaland supporters are being hounded, arrested, and threatened for demanding what is guaranteed under Article 3 of our constitution - a new state.

Freedom is an essence for which our ancestors sacrificed their everything, and today that very freedom is being denied to our people. I therefore appeal to every citizen of our nation, to pledge to stand with us in our struggle for justice, equality, and freedom from tyrany, oppression and discrimination that we are facing in West Bengal.

On behalf of the Gorkhas, I once again wish you all a very Happy Independence Day.

Jai Hind, Jai Gorkhaland

Bimal Gurung
President, Central Committe
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

Gorkhas May Suffer if NRC implemented in West Bengal

11:15 AM
If the NRC Is Extended to West Bengal, Indian Gorkhas May End Up Suffering
Swaraj Thapa

Questions over identity and citizenship of Indian Gorkhas have long persisted, which is one of the reasons behind the community's consistent demand for a Gorkhaland state.

As the debate continues over what will happen to those who will eventually be excluded from the final NRC list, Gorkhas or Nepalis in India would be well advised against rushing in to draw conclusions with regard to the exercise and instead analyse and assess possible implications that it could have on them, their status and identity.

On the face of it, the move to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) initiated at the behest of the Supreme Court to identify undocumented immigrants in Assam is welcome. For Gorkhas of India, who have been beset with an identity crisis and sometimes perceived as foreigners, it would naturally follow that an NRC would be another step in certifying them as Indians. Enlistment in the NRC will after all, affirm citizenship.

However, there are a few reasons why Gorkhas must tread with caution.

Gorkhas are well represented in the army and have given their lives in every battle fought for the country. However, recent news reports state that over one lakh Gorkhas or Nepalis have been excluded from the draft final NRC list. These Gorkhas or Nepalis, of course, will be given an opportunity to submit documents in support of their claim of being Indian citizens. They may be included in the final list or be excluded, if they are identified as immigrants from Nepal.

But this development points to the larger malaise afflicting Gorkhas or Nepalis in India: that of identity and the perception that all Gorkhas are immigrants from Nepal. How does one ensure that Indian Gorkhas do not get excluded from such a list?

In fact, it is this flogging stick that is invariably sought to be flashed whenever Indian Gorkhas or Nepalis have attempted to re-assert their identity and stake their rightful claim in nation-building. The most recent example was witnessed in Darjeeling last year. What began as a protest to oppose attempts to impose Bengali language in all schools in the state, including Darjeeling, soon turned into an agitation for identity and a demand for a separate state.

As the state began to crackdown on the protesters, it wasn’t long before the narrative took a different turn. The top leadership was charged with having links to Nepal’s Maoists. Some of the leaders involved – elected members of the Darjeeling municipality, a former elected councillor – were singled out to be alleged Nepalese citizens and hence foreigners. Systematically, their membership from respective elected bodies were sought to be cancelled and their names struck off the voters list. Reports also began circulating that authorities were considering looking at documentation of the local population dating back to 1950: a message that migrant Nepalese will be weeded out.

Hardly new tactics

Such tactics are hardly new for Gorkhas in India and those in public life have had to face it at every corner. Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling has been accused of being a Nepali citizen, notwithstanding that he recently became the longest serving chief minister in the country. M.K. Subba, a three-term former MP from Assam, faced allegations that he was a Nepali citizen. He was expelled from the Congress party in 2014 and suffered a sudden illness soon after. Balkrishna Acharya, the low profile MD of Patanjali Ayurved and arguably among the richest Indians with a reported networth of US$6.5 billion, faced investigation under the UPA government on charges that he was a Nepali citizen and had forged documents to obtain an Indian passport. In Darjeeling itself, Gorkha candidates contesting local polls in Terai regions like Naxalbari and Phansidewa are faced with slogans that they should go back to Nepal. Questioning the identity of Gorkhas of India, make no mistake, has been around for a long time.

Admittedly, one of the key reasons for Indian Gorkhas or Nepalis facing this crisis is the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed by India and Nepal. The open border between the two countries as a consequence of the treaty, allowing citizens of both countries a free passage. Indeed, barring electoral privileges, any Nepali citizen can purchase property in India, do business and even join government jobs at certain levels officially while continuing to remain citizens of Nepal.

Article 7 of the friendship treaty states:

“The governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature.”



There is also a history of Nepali citizens joining the Indian Army, many of whom are now in senior positions. I have met officers in the rank of Colonel, who are Nepali citizens. There is a sizeable migrant population.

An identity crisis

The confusion created by the arrangement in the mind of an average Indian also poses an identity crisis for Indian Gorkhas. While the borders are open, there exists no mechanism for a head count of the people entering or exiting. This makes it difficult to estimate the actual number of immigrant Nepalis in India.

While the 1950 treaty entitles Nepali citizens to live in India, I am apprehensive that should the NRC exercise ever be extended to West Bengal, it could pose problems for Gorkhas or Nepalis because a majority of the population in Darjeeling and surrounding Terai region have rarely maintained adequate documentation with regard to their residential claims. BJP leaders in West Bengal have already saidthey will implement NRC in the state if the party comes to power. Assam and West Bengal, incidentally, have the highest number of Gorkhas in the country.

An attempt to amend the 1950 treaty has been underway for some time now with a joint Eminent Persons Group (EPG) set up by both governments. It has finalised its recommendations. If the EPG is able to recommend a mechanism that will make a clear distinction between Indian Gorkhas and Nepali nationals living and working in India, the former would not face questions over their identity.

A public Indian identity

Historically, Darjeeling and Sikkim, because of the concentration of Gorkhas living there, have led the campaign for a public Indian identity. Leaders from the two places were at the forefront of the Nepali language movement. But naturally, language was also the rallying point for a wider political demand, as witnessed anywhere else. Whether it was the anti-Hindi imposition agitation in the South or the Bengali language movement in Assam, the result was a political consolidation of the forces opposing such moves.

Similarly, Gorkhas or Nepalis of India got together after former Prime Minister Morarji Desai erroneously said in 1977 that Nepali is a foreign langauge and all Nepalis in India are foreigners. It triggered a nationwide Bhasha Andolan, which became a unifying factor in the bid to fashion a distinct Indian identity.

The formulation of Indian Gorkha identity received wider support during the Subhash Ghisingh led Gorkhaland movement of the mid-1980s, not just in the Darjeeling region, but even elsewhere in the country. Although self-rule and identity were the primary objectives, language also played a key role. Ultimately, the Centre conceded and Nepali was included as one of the official languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution in 1992. Additionally, the Centre also issued a gazette notification in 1988 clarifying that Gorkhas residing in India were Indian citizens.

Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal and Assam contrast

Today, when West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee vociferously takes up the cause of the 40 lakh people excluded from the NRC final draft list – most of them speakers of the Bengali language – one cannot but compare the contrast in her actions with respect to Gorkhas. A poem titled “Identity” that she penned for the 40 lakh excluded from the NRC could well have echoed the pain and anguish suffered by Indian Gorkhas for several decades now.

Yet, it is ironical how Banerjee failed to appreciate the similarities between Bengali speaking population of Assam and Nepali speaking population in West Bengal. Both are multilingual states where minority groups are under pressure from the majority, resulting in identity assertion of the minorities. That was the logical explanation for the flareup over language issue in Darjeeling last year.

There are lessons to be learnt in every movement. While every state is multilingual and mandated to respect the rights of linguistic minorities, political practice has demonstrated that the official language symbolises the state. Speakers of minority languages find that discrimination against them by the majority community is based not on language competence or achievement, but on language identification. The Rajbanshis and Kochs of Cooch Behar have assimilated themselves, adopting Bengali as their language. But Gorkhas have resisted this and have paid the price. As a consequence, Gorkhas of Darjeeling feel that a separate state is the only answer to the problems of identity and discrimination.

An NRC in West Bengal may not be unwelcome, but a clear distinction has to be made between Indian Gorkhas and immigrant Nepalese living in India first.

Swaraj Thapa is a political commentator and activist.

Via The Wire

विमल गुरुङले दिए स्वतन्त्रता दिवसको शुभकामना अनि भने –‘हामी स्वतन्त्रतादेखि बञ्चित छौँ’

4:33 PM
दार्जीलिङ 14 अगस्त।
‘स्वतन्त्रता एउटा यस्तो मर्म हो जसको निम्ति हाम्रो पुर्खाहरूले सबै गुमाए, तथापी आज हामी स्वतन्त्रतादेखि बञ्चित छौँ’ उक्त कुरा गोजमुमो पार्टीका भूमिगत नेता विमल गुरुङले एक प्रेस विज्ञप्ति जारी गरेर भनेका छन्। उनले 72 औँ स्वतन्त्रता दिवसको सबैलाई शुभकामना व्यक्त गर्दै देशले स्वतन्त्रता दिवस मनाइरहेको अवस्थामा यता संविधान अनुसार छुट्टै राज्य गोर्खाल्याण्ड माग्नेहरूलाई पक्राउ र धम्काउने कार्य गरेको आरोप लगाएका छन्।
Bimal Gurung independence day message

‘म सबै राष्ट्रवासीलाई अनुरोध गर्न चाहन्छु, पश्चिम बङ्गालमा हामीले भोग्दै आइरहेको तानाशाही व्यवहार, उत्पीडन अनि भेदभावपूर्ण व्यवहारको विरुद्ध तपाईँहरू हाम्रो न्याय, समानता अनि स्वतन्त्रताको निम्ति लडिरहेको संघर्षमा उभिइदिनुहोस्’ विमल गुरुङले विज्ञप्तिमा अझ भनेका छन् –‘आज हामी 72 औँ स्वतन्त्रता दिवस मनाउन  गइरहेको बेला म, उत्तर बङ्गालको अल्पसङ्ख्यक गोर्खा, राजवंशी अनि आदिवासीहरूको दुर्दशाबारे राष्ट्रको ध्यानाकर्षण गराउन चाहन्चु। आज हाम्रो सबै मौलिक अधिकारहरू लगायत भारतीय संविधानको दिएको संवैधानिक सुरक्षाका प्रत्याभूइथरू पश्चिम बङ्गाल सरकारद्वारा खोसिएको छ।’

उनले देश स्वतन्त्रताको निम्ति भारतीय गोर्खाहरूले आफ्ना परिवारका सदस्यहरू गुमाएको भन्दै भारतीय स्वतन्त्रताको निम्ति सहिद बन्नेहरूको नाउँ समेत उल्लेख गरेका छन्। यद्यपी त्यहीँ देश स्वतन्त्रताको निम्ति लड्ने गोर्खाहरूले भने आजसम्म न्याय पाउन नसकेको पनि गुरुङले दुखेसो प्रकट गरेका छन्।

Gorkhas in India are Indian citizens or legal migrants, says Nepal

8:34 PM

Writes Geeta Mohan

One of the major fallout of the National Register for Citizens (NRC) list in Assam would be on Gorkhas in India. According to reports, an estimated one lakh Gorkhas have been kept out of the draft that was published on July 30 that could be a cause for major consternation between the government and the Gorkha community.
The question that arises out of this is what would the status of the Gorkhas in India be. Nepals Embassy in India believes that this is not a bilateral matter at all and that Gorkhas living in different parts of the country are all Indian citizens.
File Photo
Speaking to India Today, Hari Odari, spokesperson in the Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi said, As far as we are concerned, Gorkhas in Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and other parts of India are Indian citizens or legal migrants. This issue has never been a part of our bilateral relations or conversations.
This list which according to Indian government officials is not the final list has raised concerns among the Gorkha community of Assam. Data collected from the districts imply about 1 lakh of our people are missing from the NRC, the highest being in Baksa district followed by Sonitpur and Golaghat. They should never have been excluded because the March 24, 1971 cut-off does not apply to the Gorkhas, Prem Tamang, president of the All Assam Gorkha Students Union, told India Today
Sources in the Nepalese government in Kathmandu told India Today, This is Indias internal matter, its domestic matter. We dont interfere in that. They will resolve it themselves.
The difference between illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Nepalese coming into India is the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950.
Article 7 of the Treaty states, The Governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories o the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature.
Professor Mahendra P. Lama, from Jawaharlal Nehru University, says, For the Nepalese migrants under 1950 Treaty, they might not be citizens but they are legal migrants. No Nepalese migrant can be ousted or declared illegal anywhere in India under the Indo-Nepal treaty.
The problem with this clause is that if Nepalese people are allowed equal rights without being citizens then how does one differentiate them from those who acquired Indian citizenship by right of being descendants of soldiers recruited by the Indian Army.
It is a very clear case. Those who are Indian Gorkhas cant be deprived of Indian citizenship because of lack of documents because the processes in the past and municipality structures were not organised. The question of not giving them citizenship does not arise, says Professor Lama.
Interestingly, the Assam agitation of the 70s and 80s was a popular movement launched against outsiders included not only illegal immigrants from Bangladesh but also Gorkhas and other outsiders such as the Santhal tribe in India going in and settling in the state of Assam.
The agitation ended in August of 1985 following the Assam Accord which gave a cut-off date of March 24, 1971. People with documents establishing their stay in Assam up to the midnight of that date are eligible for inclusion in the NRC.
India Today

Apurva Tamang selected for Indian Idol 10

11:12 AM
Indian Gorkha Apurva Tamang the talented singer from Mirik Darjeeling District has been selected in National TV Show Indian Idol Season 10. He has been a strong contestant of Indian Idol Junior and Zee TV sa re ga ma pa Lil Champs in the past and is capable of winning the Indian Idol season 10.
 Apurva Tamang

Apurva Tamang born on 24th September 1999 from Mirik, Darjeeling burst into music and entertainment scene as a child sensation, gaining fame as a phenomenal singer on Zee TV's SA RE GA MA PA 2009 L'il Champs making it to the Wild Card entry.

 He started singing at a very tender age of 3 and continued to pursue his vocal training in Hindustani Classical style while at the same time keeping up with world wide trends HIP-POP and RNB. He has performed at many national and international  shows and was awarded numerous honors which include Gorkha Gaurav Samman, Nagarik Samman, Sarojini Gems Memorial etc. he has lent his voice to many regional music videos and movies including Nepali movie 'DHRUVA TARA" and continues to garner appreciation and admiration for his singing prowess wherever he perform.

He has learnt Visharad in Hindustani Classical vocal from the Institute of Prayag Sangeet Samiti AllhabadStart from 02/07/2010 to Date02/07/2017. His Genre are world music, thumri, sufi, ghazal, fusion, experimental, disco, indian classical, classic rock


Congress Leader Pawan Khera Apologises to Gorkhas

4:40 PM
Congress Leader Pawan Khera Apologises for his Comments on Gorkhas

Recently during a TV debate, Congress Leader Pawan Khera had gone on to make a shocking comment on the Gorkhas calling them separatists and anti nationals.

The comment didn't go very well with the Gorkhas and thus Pawan Khera had received a huge backlash on twitter over the issue. Following the incident, he had issued a tweet where he had apologised over his comment.

Mr. Khera has today issued a formal written apology in over the issue where he writes,
"Respected Gorkha Sisters and Brothers,

In the loud cacophony of the studio debate, there was a misunderstanding caused due to some words, definitely not caused for valiant Gorkhas, I regret that.

I apologize for any inadvertent misunderstanding caused to my Gorkha sisters and brothers.

I salute the sacrifice of Veer Shaheed Major Durga Malla, as the bravest example of what Gorkha Community has done for the motherland. They are patriotic and as Indians as the rest of us.

I salute your courage and patriotism."

 Where we believe that as humans we do make mistakes, we also believe that owning up our mistake is the first thing we can do to make things right. We appreciate Mr. Khera for admitting his mistake and coming up to apologize for the same. We believe that our Gorkha Brothers and sisters will forgive him, as we have always had hearts bigger anything else.

Via TheDC

Congress Leader Labels Gorkhas as “Separatists, Anti-Nationals, Traitors, anti-India

9:09 PM
SHAME: Congress Leader Pawan Khera Labels Gorkhas as “Separatists, Anti-Nationals, Traitors, anti-India” – GORKHAS DEMAND UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY

In another instance of humiliation meted out to the Gorkhas, Pawan Khera senior Congress spokesperson and former Political Secretary to Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit clubbed Gorkhas with Khalistan Separatists and went on to label the Gorkhas as “separatist and anti-nationals.”

The offensive comment was made by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera in NDTV debate program Left Right and Center.

Reacting to the BJP accusation of Congress joining hands with Popular Front of India, which has been deemed to be a militant and extremist organization, Congress leader Khera started to count the alliances that BJP had made, and counting his fingers claimed, “Bodo, Naga, Gorkha, pro-Khalistan elements, IPFT in Tripura – six states in which you have joined hands with separatists, anti-Nationals, traitors, anti-India.”

This slur on the Gorkha community was immediately condemned on Twitter, by @BiswadeepTamang who wrote, ” @Pawankhera how irresponsible of you to equate the entire #Gorkha community with Khalistanis and Naga rebels. You are totally ill informed by Jyoti Basu and his brigades on what #Gorkhas in India stands for. Educate yourself, before you speak rubbish. @Nidhi”

He also uploaded the following screenshot to inform the ill-informed Congress spokesperson.

” @Pawankhera Read what Congress and the former PM Rajiv Gandhi had then said on Gorkhaland. October 15, 1986 India Today https://bit.ly/2wumvqc”

Another Gorkha twitteratti Dinesh Sharma who tweets under the handle @OyeKeta wrote,

“Dear @INCIndia, please clarify what your official @PawanKhera means by calling #Gorkhaland #Bodoland #NagaIssue anti-national conspiracy. Your politics of #appeasement and #MongoloidPrejudices has pushed democratic movements in the #NorthEast to the brink of extremism #Apologize”

Taking strong exception to the lies spewed on national TV, one of the most followed Gorkha twitterattis @DipendraDipzo wrote a series of tweets, among which he asked Pawan Khera to apologize,

“Hello half-informed idiot @Pawankhera APOLOGIZE ASAP. Since when Demanding statehood within the UNION of INDIA became Anti India?? Hello, @INCIndia @RahulGandhi make this moron @pawankhera to APOLOGIZE ASAP. You are a traitor, not us. Idiot.”

The outrage felt by all Gorkhas on twitter, is gradually turning  into a gradual movement to ensure that no one throws Gorkha name to muck again, as this tweet by @VaniraKhati states,

“In a moment of absolute brain freeze @Pawankhera labels Gorkhas as anti nationals. He cannot get away by tampering with our reputation thus. #CongressMustApologizeToGorkhas”

Following the intesne pressure put forth by Gorkha twitterattis, @Pawankhera issued an apology, in which he clarified, “Highest regard for Gorkhas and their valour. The words were dedicated to the RSS/BJP for their double standards on electoral alliances.”

However, Gorkha twitterattis want Pawan Khera to issue an unconditional apology for slurring the name of our community. As this tweet by @GorkhaCheli explained,

“U drew parallel with anti nationals. Named us along with Separatists. Called us Traitors. FYI, there is dedicated regiment of Gorkhas protecting our nation at the borders and thats why you are able to raise your voice in Studios with comfort.”

Another leading Gorkha twitteratti @sudlimbu tweeted,

“On what ground this ill informed ignorant @Pawankhera labelled us separatists and antinationals? Is demanding a separate state under UNION OF INDIA antinational? We condemn his malicious statement maligning our repute and seek his Apology ASAP”

Another twitteratti @mamathaparoy1 added,

“These kind of lies are misleading, and makes ones blood boil. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. The right thing would be to apologise to the ever loyal Gorkha’s, who are sent, first in every war.”

The support for Gorkhas is coming from others as @MarkKumar3 writes,

“We support Gorkhas demand for their own state separate from West Bengal. This @Pawankhera won’t learn like this. Teach him some manners in Gorkha style”

Time for Pawan Khera to issue a proper apology.

http://thedarjeelingchronicle.com/shame-congress-leader-pawan-khera-labels-gorkahs-as-separatists-anti-nationals-traitors-anti-india-gorkhas-demand-unconditional-apology/

Distinguishing "Gorkhalis" And "Nepali" Immigrants

3:08 PM

In terms of migrants and immigrants, it is well acknowledged that due to the open border policy shared between India and Nepal, people from both the nations have emigrated from one nation to the other.

While immigration has continued freely post Independence, what majority of the people in India fail to realize is that prior to the British invading various parts of India, Nepalis were already living in across the length and breadth of India. Places like Darjeeling, parts of Sikkim, Kangra, and Garhwal were actually parts of Nepal until 1816 when these tracts of lands were handed over to the British. The land which were usurped by the British also contained a healthy population of Indigenous Nepali speaking population – today these people who did not cross the border, but for whom the borders crossed them back in 1816, are recognized as GORKHAS in the Indian context.

The term "Gorkha" is used in India to identify the Indian citizens of Nepali ethnicity including the indigenous Lepchas and Bhutias (in the Darjeeling and Sikkim context), from the citizens of Nepal who are referred to as "Nepalese."

Treaty Blues

Due to Indo- Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950 (INFT) – the term "illegal immigrants" does not apply to people from Nepal entering India or Indian citizens entering Nepal. Every Indian citizen who moves to Nepal or every Nepali who moves to India does so legally and is protected by the INFT of 1950.

Article 6 and 7 of the INFT – 1950 state the following

Article 6: Each Government undertakes, in token of the neighborly friendship between India and Nepal, to give to the nationals of the other, in its territory, national treatment with regard to participation in industrial and economic development of such territory and to the grant of concessions and contracts, relating to such development. Article 7: The Governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on a reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature.

Sadly it is these two clauses which were written to safeguard citizens from India and Nepal in each other's country, which creates misunderstanding and problem for Indian Gorkhas.

Most of the people across India naturally assume that all "Nepalis" are from Nepal, and start calling us "foreigners," "immigrants," and "outsiders" in various parts of India, and particularly so whenever we have demanded our rights to a separate state – Gorkhaland here in Darjeeling.

Via Hamro Manipur

पहाडमा रोहिङ्या अनि गोर्खा जाती

9:52 PM

थुलुङ भाई

अहिले घरी सामाजिक संजालहरुमा कतिथ रुपले रोहिङ्या मुसलमान पहाडँ(कालेबुङ) भित्र पसेको भिडियो चर्चाको बिषय बनेको छ।

यदि साच्चै नै ती सबै ब्यक्तिहरु रोहिङ्या मुसलमानहरु हुन भने यो समग्र पहाडँ अनि गोर्खा जातीको निम्ति मात्रै नभएर देशको सुरक्षा ब्यवस्था माथी नै हमला हो।के भिडियोमा देखिएको ब्यक्तिहरु भारतीय  मुसलमान हुन अथवा पहाडँ घुम्न आएका साधारण पर्यटकहरु मात्र हुन?कहाँ छन् उनीहरु अहिले? के गर्दैछन्?

पुलिस प्रशासन अनि गोर्खाल्यान्ड क्षेत्रीय प्रशासनका अधिकारीहरुले झट्ट यो बिषय माथी ध्यानसंग छानबिन गरि सत्यता के हो जनता सामु ल्याउन नितान्त आवश्यक छ।कारण यस्ता घटनाहरुले पहाडँमा फेरि अशान्ति शृजना गर्न सक्छ भन्न सकिन्दैन। गोर्खाल्याण्ड क्षेत्रीय प्रशासनको प्रवेस द्वार सुकुना देखि केही मिनेट टाडो सालबाढीमा पनि बिगत दिनहरु भन्दा धेरै संख्यामा अवैध बंगलादेशीहरुको प्रवेस भएको कुरा प्रकाशमा आएको छ अनि उनिहरुले हेर्दाहेर्दै एउटा नयाँ गाउँ नै बनाएको लेखक स्वयं लाई अनुभव छ।तब प्रश्न उठँछ यहा,के यस्ता घटनाहरु प्रशासनको जानकारी बिना घटन सक्छ?के राज्यको खुफिया विभागलाई यस बारे जानकारी हुदैन? प्रश्न गम्भीर छ।अनि त्यो भन्दा गम्भीर कुरो यस्ता कुराहरु प्रकासमा आएपनी प्रशासन किन मौन? राज्य सरकार होस अथवा केन्द्र सरकार दुवैले यो बिसयमा चासो न राखेको झै देखिन्छ।

केन्द्र सरकारको एक रिपोर्ट अनुसार पश्चिम् बंगालमा मात्रै २ करोड अवैध बंगलादेशीहरु बसोबास गर्छन्।
आसाम राज्य पनि अवैध बंगलादेशीहरुको समस्याले ग्रसित छ भने उडिस्सा पनि अछुतो छैन।सन १९७९ सालमा अल आसाम स्टुडेन्ट युनियनले अवैध बंगलादेशीको मुद्दा सरकार सम्मुख उठाएका थिए।तर सरकारले गम्भीरता पुर्वक लिएन,फलस्वरूप वर्तमान समयमा आएर केन्द्र सरकारलाई हस्ताक्षेप गर्न कर लाग्यो अनि असली भारतीय मुसलमान अनि अवैध बंगलादेशी छुट्टाउने प्रक्रिया आसाममा चलिरहेको छ।यी तीन राज्य मध्ये अवैध बंगलादेशीहरुको निम्ति पश्चिम् बंगाल राज्यमा प्रवेस गर्न सबैभन्दा सजिलो रहेको पनि बिगतका कतिपय भाइरल भिडियोहरु अनि घटनाहरुले स्पष्ट बुझाएको छ।

अन्तमा कालेबुङ शहर भित्र रोहिङ्या प्रवेश गरेको कतिथ घटनालाई कुनै राजनीतिकरण नगरी गम्भीरता पुर्वक छानबिन गरि सत्य कुरा उजागर गर्न अहिलेको परिवेशमा आवश्यक छ।

जय हिन्द जय गोर्खा

Aqui Thami's travelling library putting the spotlight on women’s books

1:19 PM

Meet Aqui Thami from Darjeeling, whose travelling library is putting the spotlight on women’s books

‘Sister Library’, founded by the artist and activist, is going to several cities and sparking conversations around the representation of women in literature.

Aqui Thami is an artist and activist from Darjeeling, currently based in Mumbai, who is known for work that brings together both of those worlds. She put up one hundred posters with the words, “A woman was harassed here,” or “You aren’t giving me a compliment. You’re giving me the creeps,” in places around Mumbai where she and people she knew had been harassed. She has been working in the Dharavi Art Room with the founder, Himanshu, since 2012 to provide women and children in the community with a place to express and heal themselves through art.

In Bombay Underground, they promote and publish zines – a low-cost artistic production that allows them to, in Thami’s words, “break the epistemological hierarchy.” One of her zines about periods featured women’s reflections and stories about menstruation. Her latest project is the Sister Library – a travelling library of one hundred books from Thami’s own book collection that focuses solely on women’s writing. The library will tour Mumbai, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Goa, and Cochin with accompanying talks and discussions. She spoke to Scroll.in about the role of libraries, the desire to share books and zines that took her a long time to find, and what a permanent collection of these works might look like. Excerpts from the interview:

I want to start by asking about your personal connection to libraries. Did you have access to libraries growing up? Can you tell us about a library experience that has been meaningful for you?

The project comes from an absence of spaces like these in my life. From longing to find books written by female authors at the roadside bookwallahs to fancier bookshops in the city – a variety of books, not just that token bestseller. Also, Sister Library is not a conventional library, it is an evolving and generative artwork that engages with the visual and reading culture of our times.

Underground Bookhouse (a bookshop-cum-library with books on art, culture and activism) was an experience like no other when it came to reading and writing. As an artist, activist and a scholar it was the only space that triangulated my interests. It was from this place of syncretism that I started to reflect on a possibility of a space just like that but one that celebrates women.

Is there a criteria besides female authorship for inclusion in the library? What would you say drives this curation?

It is a curated library of a hundred works by women writers, artists and zine makers. I have curated a mix of things that I really enjoyed. It came from a place of sharing. Having scouted numerous places in search of these works and knowing how difficult it is to procure them, I feel like it is only fair that I share them with everyone that thirsts for them like I did.

Is the role of a librarian a political one to you? You’re choosing to focus on women’s literature. When the size of the collection is still relatively small, every book or zine becomes a reading recommendation.

I wouldn’t call myself a librarian. Sadly, in our times libraries have become places of exclusion, not only in the sense of who might have access to these high walls and gates but also whose works are celebrated, cited and awarded as the most valid and credible.

Sister Library is more an act of reclaiming libraries – celebrating works that don’t find mention in the mainstream media and re-examining the idea of what a library could be. The fact that this project is an interactive work that will be travelling in all its DIY spirit and glory is a step towards redefining what a library could be.

At Sister Library, we will also be celebrating orality. Being an indigenous person, I feel a sense of restriction that writing has brought about amongst us. While we cannot ignore the importance of written text, I also look at it as a colonial legacy. Our libraries were our ancestors. Oral literatures were not just a cultural heritage but also a way of teaching language, rituals and knowledge.

I have over 1000 books in my collection but since it is a travelling library it limits me to a certain number. I have decided on 100.

The books featured on the project’s Instagram include a lot of non-fiction, graphic novels, zines, and poetry. Could you talk to us a little about why the library is drawn to those genres, what it gains from them?
It is curated mix of fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, zines and periodicals.

I am a zinester and have been drawn towards their straightforwardness. Content is the only thing that sells a zine. How nice the paper is, how great the print is are all secondary. Since these works are produced independently, they are so very refreshing, from their themes to deconstruction of language. Zines made by women talk about things that we never really get to read about anywhere else.

Non-fiction works of women are harder to find in my experience. Historical factuality from a woman’s perspective is not considered important, but to understand and reflect on where our world stands it is important that we read non-fiction. Reading nonfiction helps unlearn and deconstruct that internalised male gaze you know we all have after years of consuming male perspectives of everything.

And I do enjoy non-fiction as much as I enjoy fiction. But because women were historically denied epistemic validity when writing non-fiction, I was moved to reading more and more non-fiction which in turn enriched my work and life processes.

I can’t ignore the relationship between women’s movement and poetry. Poetry has been medicine to me at various points in my life. I wanted to share it with the visitors of Sister Library too.

The library is set to tour from the end of April to Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Goa, and Cochin with accompanying talks and discussions. Do you expect that the different personality of each of these places will affect how they interact with the library?
I cannot predict how each city will interact with the SL. I can only say that it will be constantly modified by its interaction with the people.

At the moment, the library draws from your personal book collection. If people are interested in the project and want to donate books written by women, how would they go about it?
All contributions are welcome. There have been zinesters sending their zines from all over the world, there have been authors wanting to send their books and there have been older feminists and activists who want to share books that drove them in the struggle that paved a way for us. It has been such a blessing.

At every venue, there will be a collection booth for interested people to drop their books. They could also ship books to this address in Mumbai: Art Room Foundation, Flat No 1, Shangri-La Apartments, Khandeshwari Mandir Marg, Mount Mary Steps, Bandra West, 400050.

The goal, I’ve heard you say in another interview, is to have a permanent collection if enough support and interest is generated by the tour. What would this permanent collection where people can borrow books look like?
I have dreamed of a feminist library, it’s true. It will be everything the travelling Sister Library is but in a permanent space. Open to people to come and read, as well as become members and borrow books. It will be a new place to see and understand the world – providing a unique experience to be immersed in works created by women exclusively thereby creating new narrative, providing the space to ask questions, and to look and to think about the answers. It obviously must be community-owned, volunteer-run and a safe space. It will all depend on how much funding I will be able to raise to make the permanent space happen, but ideally, it should be a big enough space for the books, zines and other publication as well as other activities such as story telling, reading circles, book clubs, and zine making. It should be accessible to people with disabilities. People can get in touch with me if they are interested in supporting Sister Library with money, space or books.

Source - Scroll.in

Shaurya Chakra to Lance Naik Deepak Ale

2:52 PM
GORKHA PRIDE: President presents  Shaurya Chakra to Lance Naik Deepak Ale

Honourable President of India Ram Nath Kovind presents Shaurya Chakra to Lance Naik Deepak Ale, 1st Battalion, 3rd Gorkha Rifles. He displayed courage, selfless devotion and gallantry beyond the call of duty in killing four militants in Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir.

Watch the Video here.


Shakti Gurung favours "control" on the Indo-Nepal border

11:59 AM
Darjeeling: Lt General (retd) Shakti Gurung, who is heading the National Gorkhaland Committee (NGC), an apolitical think tank looking into issues of the Gorkha community, said on Sunday that they were in favour of some "control" and "regulation" on the Indo-Nepal border.

Gurung's comment comes at a time an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) appointed by the governments of Nepal and India are reviewing the India-Nepal Friendship Treaty 1950 that has provisions for free movement of India and Nepal citizens into each others territory.

Shakti Gurung NGC
Shakti Gurung (NGC)
 Asked about the NGC's stand on the open border, Gurung, said: "There is a general feeling among Indian Gorkhas that we get questioned because the borders are open. There are some reasons why the country (India) has kept the border open, we share similar culture, traditions, Nepal is a friendly neighbour, but we believe that the treaty should be reviewed in light of the identity (of Indian Gorkhas)."

The EPG was formed in 2016 and its mandate runs till June this year. EPG members from Nepal include former foreign minister, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai and constitutional and legal experts Nilambar Acharya and Surya Nath Upadhyay.

The demand for the scrapping of Article VII of the treaty was first raised by GNLF leader Subash Ghisingh when he led the statehood agitation in 1986. The GNLF had wanted the clause to be scrapped as it felt the rights given to the citizens of Nepal - a country contiguous to Darjeeling - under this treaty were blurring the distinction between Nepalese citizen and Indian Gorkhas who speak the same language.

Gurung said on Sunday: "There should be some kind of control, regulation (at the border). This is a general feeling, talk to any Gorkha community member in India, whether from here or Uttarkhand, they all feel that an open border raises questions on their (Indian) identity."

The NGC clarified that none of its members would be encouraged to contest elections.

"We will also form regional committees but we will only take those people who are not attached with political parties," said Gurung.

Via Telegraph

where is my Home?

8:45 AM
Writes:  Binayak Sundas

There are those Nepalis in India who are from Nepal and hold Nepali citizenship and then there are others who live in India and hold Indian citizenship

In the last few decades there has been a steady rise in literature on experiences of people visiting those parts of their socio-cultural spaces separated by partition. Hence people discover that the land that they grew up thinking as the quintessential other and enemy was not after all so different. The people, that they always thought of as the evil incarnate could have easily been neighbors, friends or even family. Such is the complicated history of the subcontinent and the problems of the concept of the nation-state in the region.

A person from Kolkata may find that he has far more in common with someone from across the border in Dhaka than he has with someone from his own state in Darjeeling. Similarly, a person from Lahore may find that Amritsar is far closer to home than Quetta or Karachi. These dilemmas and complexities have led to a plethora of beautiful, yet melancholic stories that have captured the imaginations of readers and caused them to rethink certain aspects of nature of nationalism and renewed connections across the border.

The partition of Punjab and Bengal in 1947, a tragic event of Himalayan proportions, and its aftermath are very difficult to be compared with anywhere else. It was an incident that was a product of specific historical events that were unique to the region and yet one cannot help, but wonder if similar literature is possible to be written between Indian Nepalis and Nepal’s Nepalis.

I have over the years of my research come across many academic literatures that have tried to clearly make the difference of Indian Nepali from those in Nepal. They have suggested the use of terms such as Nepa-mulya and Bharatiya Nepali, but nothing seems to have quite captured the imagination of Indian Nepalis, as that of the “Gorkha” since nothing speaks of pride like a colonial imaginary construct, used to garner cheap military labor. The two kinds of Nepalis in India are those who are from Nepal but are in India to work and earn their livelihoods and hold Nepali citizenship and the other who have lived in India and hold Indian citizenship.

The common perception is that the accents in their Nepali are the main marker of difference. This is, of course, a mistake since Nepal does not have a unified accent, neither do Indian Nepalis.

During my stay in Delhi, I had the privilege of making a lot of friends from Nepal, the picture that they painted of Nepal and its socio-economic dynamics seemed to be very different from the one that I remembered from the tales of my mother or my brief visits to Dharan and more importantly from the socio cultural and economic scenario in Darjeeling, the hub of Indian Nepalis. The language too seemed different; Bahuns, Ranas and Shah friends spoke a form of Nepali, that they claimed was the equivalent of King’s English. They were mortified when they heard me speak in Nepali, some were out rightly offended, some laughed and one friend said I spoke like a Taba Keta (drug addict) from Thamel.

Tracing the root

On my father’s side, my family was from Dolakha. Once, as my grandfather narrated the story to me, one of my ancestors, a Damai, accidentally touched a Brahmin bride on her wedding day, which caused her to lose her caste and the marriage was called off. By the evening the entire village was gathering for traditional Jhar Katnu (hacking him to death). How else would the groom’s and bride’s family regain lost honor and the rest of the village salvage the entertainment denied to them?

Maybe someone informed them, my family left the village with whatever little belongings they had before the mob arrived.  Realizing that they could never go back home they made their way to the only refuge for the wretched of Nepal: Darjeeling, along with the Brahmin bride. This was a hundred years ago, during the same period the ancestors on my mother’s side were facing a different dilemma.

After the Gorkha state’s victory in Limbuwan hills, the state’s appropriating class were vigorously taking over Kipat (communal land holding) lands of Limbus and converting them to Jagirs (land grants given in lieu of salary). The Limbus rose in rebellion several times but failed. The only two way left for Limbus were: accept the Gorkha rule, new land revenue structure and a debt trapped life or leave the region altogether. My ancestors made way to Munglan (India) in search of the promised life.

The British at that point of time were perpetually caught in one conflict after other both in the western and eastern frontiers and were expanding Gurkha regiments to include the Rai and Limbus as well. This was a departure from the earlier policy of only hiring Magars, Gurungs, Thakuris and Khas. In the Gurkha regiment my ancestor was introduced to the brilliance of the martial race theory and how it manages to gain cheap military labor and can repeat it over generations. My family has served the British and Indian armies for the next hundred years.

I made my way across the River Mechi, but graves of my grandparents were on the other side of the border. I paid a visit to my great aunt and uncle’s graves on Nepal’s side of the Mechi River. Buried on the border, was perhaps a fitting metaphor for what I was to discover in the coming days. On a lighter note, it was a bit ironic that they were buried next to each other. In life they could never stop bickering.

Journey to Nepal

A few brief anxious moments circling Kathmandu and then we landed. My first steps in the city that I had read and written about but never visited. I looked around and saw what the Malla rulers must have seen, large hills surrounding the valley, like massive walls that could never be breached. A fortress that had stood the test of time, of course until Prithvinarayan Shah came. Prithvinarayan too saw the hills and he too realized they were walls, except they were not the walls of a fortress but that of a prison.

He imprisoned the Mallas within the valley until they did not even put up an effective fight, choosing to rely on faith than in a final battle as the Gorkha army walked into the city.  My introductions to the city were the taxi drivers and they were exactly like the ones back home. Their Nepali was exactly like mine, perhaps a bit more polite, which made me wonder where were those who spoke in “King’s Nepali.” I never had a problem with the language while my stay there. The only problem though was that the people in Katmandu and even in Pokhara for that matter spoke too softly and I realized that I must have sounded like I was screaming half the time.

The driver started to complain about administration and corruption. I felt at home again. The night of course belonged to Thamel, I had heard a lot about this place, but nothing prepared me for what I experienced. The Sarangi players made me realize how amateurish the ones in Darjeeling and Sikkim are. The people, the shops, the bars, they could trap anyone here for a long time. I walked around aimlessly until late at night and I made my way back reluctantly to my hotel.

The next day I made my way to the old city and this place felt alien. Don’t get me wrong I loved the place, the culture, the architecture and the people but none of it seemed familiar to me. It was beautiful but foreign to me, the Newari accent seemed curious and it was not one I had heard before, well at least in real life. The Newars in Darjeeling and Sikkim have long given up the language and no hint of this accent remains in their Nepali. The smell and the sight of this place seemed odd. I wondered if the first soldiers of the Gorkha army felt this unease and strangeness of this place.

Perhaps the strangeness of this place was what caused Prithvinarayan to lament about the simple life of home, where people drink from streams than this valley where water comes in cisterns. As I placed my hand on the old walls with the sun uncomfortably on my back, history was alive for me. The debates over socio-economic structures, class relations, the impact of new ruling class, modes of production etc were all forgotten and a different kind of history took its place—the one that had the thrill of living through it, of extending your hand through time to capture a moment gone by, a history of emotions so to speak.

I did not go to any of the palaces though. I watched all of them from across the road. A hundred years ago I would have been flogged for just being this near the royal palaces or any other palaces. I have been inside palaces elsewhere of course, but somehow the resentment here seemed very personal, anger with these Rajput status claiming rulers went back far too long back in history, I doubt if anyone else could even understand it.

The structures as magnificent as they were, just did not impress me, every brick of these palaces was wet with the tears of some indebted peasant who was forced to sell his children to pay the Sarkar and Sahukar. As I blew my smoke towards the palace I smiled to think of the fact that they no longer lived there, at last they would know the pain of leaving their homes behind. All that money, all that eulogies and all that false status, and son had killed fathers and brothers had killed brothers, in the end just dust in the vast expanse of history, like the rest of us.

My mother had lived in Pokhara for two years in her youth, back then when teachers from Darjeeling were in demand in Nepal. A visit to this town was mandatory, but nothing about this place seemed like the stories I had heard. As mesmerizing as the lakeside was it was easily eclipsed by the next place I visited, Mustang. You could write several books about this place and still could not do justice to this desolate beauty.

My mind could not help, but think of all the Newari traders and Tibetan scholars who might have passed through this place or places like this, what they must seem what fears they had and how this place looked to them. My heart also could not but think of all the soldiers of the Gorkha army as they first crossed to invade Tibet and how frostbitten defeated they retreated with the great Chinese general Fu’ Kwan hot on their heels, on his way to invade the Gorkha empire.

Muktinath temple deserves an article by itself, a great remnant of the syncretic traditions of the Himalayan region, perhaps a remnant of the Khas Empire itself. The place perfect for worship, it reminded me so much of the Mahakal Mandir in Darjeeling, thought it also made me lament thinking of the commercialization of the temple at home.

We are all Nepalis

In most places I was asked of my caste, though I don’t think it was so much of the apprehensions but mostly due to curiosity, my Limbu and Damai heritage has given an interesting face. The fun part was when I told them I was Damai, one shopkeeper laughed and when he realized I was serious he quickly diverted the topic, a security guard turned all shades of yellow and some went on  long monologues how caste didn’t matter in modern Nepal, which sort of proved to me that it did.

The one thing I realized was Darjeeling accent was not a unique accent and it was a mere extension of the eastern accent of Nepal with a bit of Janjati and a perhaps a little bit of Madhesi accent. We were not different at all. We are all a part of a larger socio cultural space. We are all Nepalis. As I made my way back across the border leaving behind a place where everyone spoke in my language, into a place where people spoke languages that I did not speak, I wondered where home was.

The author is a PhD researcher at Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Via: My Republica
Author can be reached at: binayaksundas@gmail.com

How Indian Gorkhas came with their land

4:53 PM

In an attempt to put into perspective the history of Indian Ghorkhas for the benefit of all  of us  residing in various parts of India here is an excerpt adapted and abridged from Salil Gewali's article on Indian Ghorkhas which is as follows :-

It is quite apparent that West Bengal is steadily eyeing Darjeeling and its adjoining areas as it's private fiefdom.  It seems a bunch of good scholars are now urgently required to wise  up to history. The West Bengal government probably does not know about the fact that the Nepal Kingdom in 1815-16  under the Treaty of Sugauli was prudent enough to come to an agreement with the then rapaciously imperialist ‘East India Company’. So, “Nepal Kingdom’’,  in order to  avoid continuous unpleasant conflicts, surrendered about one-fourth of its land to the British.  This "surrendered land'' included the major chunk of the mountainous, hilly and plain terrains of areas like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nainital, Kumaon, and Garhwal which was handed over to the East India Company. Rationally speaking, if all this vast area of land, its mountains, its pristine hills, rivers, flora and fauna can be regarded as Indian then why can’t the human inhabitants who lived therein ?? Why is there so much skepticism and callousness? Well, if our nation's leaders are still confused and desist from resolving the identity crises of the Ghorkha natives of this land then they should  meet and consult the bio-scientists and geoscientists. It's utterly regrettable to see Ghorkhas treated so poorly in their own land...

Hence The Gorkhas came with their land, not  like other invaders or infiltrators who have been posing serious threats to the NATION. Gorkhas are the stout walls of security and integrity for the country. It is time for The Indian government to pay back their dues and enough of it with gratitude. They can’t be expected to bite the bullet all the time under oppressive and exploitative regimes

Abridged  and adapted from an excerpt from the writer

Salil Gewali

(A Shillong-based writer and researcher who has to his credit a landmark publication of his research-based book of over 25 years entitled ‘Great minds on India?’ which has earned worldwide appreciations. Translated into eleven languages his ‘Great Minds on India’ has recently been prefaced by a world-acclaimed NASA Chief scientist – Dr. Kamlesh Lulla of Houston.

If this is Democracy?

7:06 AM

Writes Pramod Khadka

India the world's largest democracy,the country we live and the country where democracy prevails in which power ultimately comes from the people. The rights of the individuals are protected and respected as per the Constitution of India.
But when it comes to our state so called West Bengal these democratic rights of the same individual are butchered everyday.. West Bengal government has its history of exercising hegemony among its minority community( Gorkhas); who they terms as outsiders or separatists..
Darjeeling the town which is carrying the its legacy as the 'Queen of the Hills' with its utmost beauty and peaceful endeavour has always come as a pride for Bengal. But when it comes to the people residing there Bengal has always taken a discriminatory stand since ages be it any ruling party forcing the indigenous people to raise their voice for Identity,Dignity and the separation from Bengal but the words are still unheard,unjustified and unfulfilled.
Under Article 19,the backbone of the chapter on Fundamental Rights or Personal Liberty it has guaranteed basic freedom to all citizens:
1) Freedom of speech and expression
2)assemble peacefully and without arms
3)form associations or union.

But today the Life,Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness for a Gorkha community has been cremated with the malign human right abuse committed against the people(most notably women and senior citizens)by the police authorities who were organising a peaceful rally in Darjeeling today..

So Madam! I hereby challenge your notion of Democracy(or Dictatorship in disguise) .
*If your Democracy is about glorifying the inhuman acts against the older and weaker sections of society then I resist your Democracy.
*If your Democracy is about forcefully imposing an alien language to an indigenous community whose language has been officially recognised by the Indian Constitution then I resist such Democracy.
*If your Democracy is about practising Divisive Policy and dividing the community on the racial grounds then I resist such Democracy.
*If your Democracy talks about resorting forceful agents(CRPF,Police,Army) creating an Emergency like situation then I resist such Democracy.
*If your Democracy is about practising lawlessness and suppressing the minorities of your state then I resist such Democracy.
*If your notion of Democracy is aimed against the aspirations for a separate state then I resist such Democracy.

Madam! You should know the success of a democracy depends largely on the the extent to which the civil liberties are enjoyed by the citizens in general.. But our civil liberty has been suppressed,hampered and butchered everyday by you,your authorities and by your state..
So hereby I resist the Democracy which you talks about that doesn't falls under the Constitution and which you practice in Our Hills everyday. Political equality is for all but not for the Gorkhas.. If it would have been for us we wouldn't need to beg for it... So I resist You,Your Democratic vision and Your Democratic Development..

The Butterfly Effect

1:05 PM

//The Butterfly Effect// by Merab Wangchuk

The last time I verified my identity as an Indian Nepali was a month back while traveling back to my hometown. She was a sweet kid, somebody I'm never going to meet again but I hope I got my point across that I'm an Indian as much as she is.
As a resident of West Bengal and studying in Kolkata, I have always had to clarify myself on my physical structure.

" Are you Assamese?"
           -"No, no, I'm a Nepali!"
"Oh! From Nepal?"
           -" No, from Bengal. Darjeeling. Kalimpong, to be exact.."
"Aaah..Lovely place!"

Yes, to you it is a beautiful place. To my people its their lifeline, a land forged to what it is now with their blood, sweat and tears. British overseers lorded over our ancestors as they slaved away, laying foundations for the very same places you come to see, the very same places before where you take pictures and store it in albums as cherished memories, a cheap gateaway, a summer destination, a place where for a while you forget your daily hectic days and lose yourself to the blowing of cool winds, blue hills, orange sunsets and the sparkling mirror of Khangchendzonga.

No, I have nothing against you. Infact, we have always been welcoming and happy to have you here. But what bothers me are the hateful comments being spewed out in social media and news channels. So much of hatred and racism being spread about not only from other communities but from my community as well. Do you know how saddening that is? To see our stance degrading, to have to stoop so low.

History has it that this land had always been contested between the Chogyal of Sikkim, the kingdom of Bhutan, the kingdom of Nepal and the British East India Company. Wars have been fought for this land, treaties have been signed for this land, annexation is a word this land understands all too well. It all shows that we have existed here since long, saw it being destroyed and rebuilt, my people have lived their lives in oppression and poverty and still managed to build a home for themselves here.
So, why do we have to hear echoes of "GO BACK! GO BACK!"

And I ask you, "Where?"
You see, I've been asked to go back either to Nepal or to China but I know nothing of the two countries. What I call home is here. India. I have sung the National Anthem with as much pride as any other fellow countrymen, celebrated Independence Day with as much pomp and splendour as the rest of the country, I have believed in the Brotherhood of Men too strongly and fiercely and yet, sadly, as I walk the busy streets of a city I've called home for the past two years, along with the warm humid gust of wind, sprinkles of 'Chinese' , 'Momo', 'Ching Chong', 'Nepal challey jao' still follows my shadow.

However, I can't be despicable for there's always been somebody kind enough to give directions when I've gotten lost a few many times, friends so sweet and supportive, people who've made me believe in humanity again and again. So, tell me how can I detest an entire community? For you see, this is not a war between two communities, between ethnic groups, between the Nepalese and Bengalis, this is a war for an identity. The plea to be heard, to be given a place, a fight put up by a race of smothered people only asking to be recognized, to be able to live with heads held up high.

We have been branded foreigners, anti-nationals amd terrorists. We stand for peace but now, it seems a far thought. We know enough of tear gases, rubber bullets, gaping wounds and sacrifices. We are a race who have compromised enough so much so that the Teesta now lies dead and there is still no electricity in our homes.

I hope this ends now. I hope we stand in solidarity and unity, forsaking the so called concept of development boards, I hope we learn not to lean unto the so called leaders but learn to lean unto ourselves, unto each other. I hope we understand where our power lies.

Who isn't petrified of what is to come? There is an ominous foreboding in the air, maybe this will be our last effort, maybe if this fails, my people won't have the strength to rise gain but today, the wings are in motion now. Will we answer the call? Will we blow up a tornado or are we going to let it fizzle away from our grasp, yet again?

 
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