Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan Backtracks says "(Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh) BGP has not supported Dr. Mahendra P Lama, but the Gorkhaland cause." Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Working President C P Giri had accuses Rev Dr. Enos Das Pradhan of subverting BGP Constitution on his declaring BGP's support in favour of Independent candidate from Darjeeling, Dr. M P Lama.


    "BGP supported the Gorkhaland cause, not Dr. Lama" - Rev. Enos Das Pradhan
    "BGP supported the Gorkhaland cause, not Dr. Lama" - Rev. Enos Das Pradhan

    After facing criticism for Bharatiya Gorkha Parsangh central committee members over the issue of Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan 'arbitrarily' supporting Dr. Mahendra P Lama, Rev. Pradhan tried to clear the air by saying, "BGP has not supported Dr. Mahendra P Lama, but the Gorkhaland cause... formation of Gorkhaland is BGP's number one cause, and this is what has created the confusion..."

    Declaring that there is no internal strife within BGP, Rev. Dr. Pradhan said, "the decision to support Dr. Lama was taken by the BGP West Bengal unit, as Dr. Lama is support's the demand for Gorkhaland."

    This is indeed a marked difference in tone after Rev. Dr. Pradhan had announced BGP support for Dr. M P Lama publicly.


    The Darjeeling Dooars United Development Foundation (DDUDF) and its associates, namely the CPRM, BGP, GRNM and AIGL, today formed a sub-division level election committee at a meeting held at the Shyamadevi Bhavan.

    DDUDF apex committee members at a meeting in Kalimpong
    DDUDF apex committee members at a
    meeting in Kalimpong
    Speaking to journalists later, DDUDF apex committee chairman and BGP president Enos Das Pradhan said Sonam Tshering has been elected as the convener of the sub-divisional election committee along with seven other members, including the CPRM’s Mohan Paudayal, BGP’s PK Pradhan, AIGL’s Pratap Khati and GRNM’s Dawa Pakhrin.

    Pradhan said more election committees will be formed at the municipal and block levels to campaign for independent candidate Dr. Mahendra P Lama at the grassroots. The meeting as resolved to hold an interactive programme at the town hall here on March 31 where various community and religious organisations including representatives from educational institutes, civil society and students will also be invited. Further, the election committee will host a public meeting at Mela Ground on April 12 and several other functions will also be held in various places, informed Pradhan.

    He also urged the GNLF to support Lama saying, “Ghisingh is the one who ignited the dream of statehood among us. It may be via the Sixth Schedule, but his ultimate goal is a Gorkhaland state. Dr Lama is in a mission to fulfill the dream he ignited. Ghisingh must support Lama at this crucial juncture.”

    Taking a dig at the GJM and the BJP, Pradhan called them “fake pro-Gorkhaland” forces, adding no basis remains for believing their claims. He said, “People such as Ahluwalia are fake pro-Gorkhaland forces. They talk one thing in the parliamentary constituency and in another way in their manifestos. The BJP has not mentioned Gorkhaland anywhere in its election manifesto.”

    He also condemned Mamata Banerjee for her speech in Gorubathan saying it was full of “threats”. Pradhan asserted Banerjee’s speech not only intended to “threaten a specific political party”, but was an “aggression on the self-esteem of the Gorkha community” as a whole.

    Source: EOI

    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Working President C P Giri, accuses Rev Dr. Enos Das Pradhan of subverting BGP Constitution

    Controversy has erupted over Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh executive President Rev Dr. Enos Das Pradhan declaring BGP's support in favour of Independent candidate from Darjeeling, Dr. M P Lama.
    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh executive President Rev Dr. Enos Das Pradhan
    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh executive President Rev Dr. Enos Das Pradhan
    Talking to the press BGP Working President Shri C P Giri said, "BGP is fundamentally a non-political organization and therein lies its mandate and its strength. Our Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh.... we are a pan-India organization for reason, we are not expected to indulge in politics... but Dr. Enos Das Pradhan and a few other executive members have udnermined that mandate and indulged in active politics."

    Making further clarification, Mr. Giri said, "on March 9th, 2014 we all attended a meeting in Siliguri for deciding BGP policy, and we had not discussed anything about supporting Dr. Lama... However Rev Enos Das Pradhan called a press meet and declared BGP support for Dr. Lama... which he should not have done."

    National Vice President Arun Upadhyay has also confirmed that BGP did not take any official decision to support Dr. Lama and clarified that what Dr. Enos Das Pradhan did was on his personal capacity and that he should not have dragged the BGP name in it.

    Both Mr. Giri and Mr Upadhyay have accused Dr. Pradhan of his personal agenda clouding his judgement and impairing his ability to function as the President of a national level body.


    The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) has raised the issue of insecurity being felt constantly by the Gorkhas living in the North Eastern states. Speaking today at a press conference here, BGP national spokesperson R Moktan demanded the Centre and the governments of the NE states to ensure security of the Gorkhas residing in those areas.


    He strongly condemned the recent incident in Karbi Anglong, at the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, where seven houses of Gorkha families were torched by underground Naga extremists. The incident has created an environment of terror and insecurity among the Gorkha people living in the region, said Moktan.

    “The BGP is very serious on the issue. We will form a high power committee that will visit the places and the victims. After gathering necessary details, a report will be prepared on the basis of which we will meet the prime minister, home minister and other concerned ministers of the NE states to bring the matter to their notice while also demanding necessary action.”

    The BGP spokesperson also welcomed the Guwahati High Court’s verdict to scrap the ‘D’ voter status clause using which the Assam government disenfranchises suspected ‘foreigners’ living in the state. He said the high court’s ruling will bring about a profound change in the social and political lives of the Gorkha community in Assam. According to Moktan, the ‘D’ status was a ploy of the Assam government to dilute the citizenship of the Gorkhas and deprive them of voting rights.

    “We welcome the verdict of the Guwahati High Court. This will eradicate the biased attitude towards Gorkha voters in Assam,” he asserted.

    Source:EOI


    In a motivating development for independent candidate Dr. Mahendra P Lama, various social organisations and prominent citizens of town have pledged their support for him. A meeting was today held at the GDNS hall in the presence of BGP president Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, GDNS president Uday Kumai, Hill Social Welfare Society secretary Sobha Chettri, Kalimpong Sangrakshak Samiti Sonam T Bhutia, political analyst and educationist PK Pradhan and noted educationist TB Thakuri, among others.

    Dr. Mahendra P Lama earns support from Social organisations and prominent citizens
    Dr. Mahendra P Lama 
    Noted public figures and representatives of social organisations declared Lama the most eligible candidate and pledged their support to him.

    Addressing media persons later, PR Pradhan said, “Dr. Lama is the only eligible candidate. In all circumstances I will vote for him.”

    He added he may not be able to move around campaigning for Lama, but will encourage people to vote for him in his own way. Pradhan also lashed out at Mamata Banerjee saying the TMC chief has made “anti-Gorkha comments” on several occasions to expose her attitude towards the Gorkha community.

    “The Trinamool government is not in favour of the Gorkha community. Besides it has nominated Bhaichung Bhutia as its candidate. Football is not played in Parliament,” said Pradhan amid laughter.

    The educationist also rejected CPM candidate Saman Phatak’s ability to satisfy the people of the hills.

    Pradhan said, “Even if Phatak wins, he will be obliged to follow the party dictums. He won’t be able to work for the people here even if he desires.”

    BGP president Dr Enos Das Pradhan also spoke in strong support of Lama. Pradhan has been campaigning for Lama and he said, “A trend of hiring candidates from outside Darjeeling is being seen here. Last time we elected Jaswant Singh with a huge margin considering his heavyweight stature. We all know what he has accomplished for the people of his constituency.”

    Dr. Pradhan added political parties have been forcing their candidates down voters’ throats and urged the electorate to think twice before casting their ballot. “We should elect a representative by using our conscience and not by a political party’s influences,” he noted.

    The BGP president informed a meeting will be held on March 29 and it will include more organisations and noted individuals of town and its surrounding areas. He added the DDUDF will host a public meeting on April 12 while other campaigning activities will continue as planned.

    Source:EOI

    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) national president Dr. Enos Das Pradhan today announced the organisation’s decision to support Dr. Mahendra P Lama in the general election in keeping with the BGP’s strategy of supporting a local candidate.

    BGP president Dr. Enos Pradhan at the press meet in Kalimpong on Monday.
    BGP president Dr. Enos Pradhan at the press meet
    in Kalimpong on Monday.
    He said, “Lama is the only capable candidate from the hills. He is not a puppet in the hands of the state and central governments at least and we have decided to support his candidature.”

    Talking to reporters today, Pradhan said the BGP’s policy determination committee recently met in Siliguri and held extensive discussions on the upcoming polls following which the leadership officially approved support to Dr. Lama.

    The BGP chief also said, “Gorkhaland is not impossible. We need to unite and work together. We will form a platform in the national level after the elections to take the demand ahead,” while adding the GTA and even the Sixth Schedule status will never fulfill the long-sought aspiration of the Gorkhas.

    Talking about the planned BGP national level platform, Pradhan said Sukman Moktan will be appointed its convener. Meanwhile, there has been a reshuffle in the policy determination committee and Bhupendra Adhikari has replaced Prabhakar Dewan as its general secretary, while R Moktan has become the national convener.

    Further, Pradhan condemned purported attempts by certain forces to disintegrate the BGP and said members have also discussed ways to fight such divisive forces.

    The BGP president also did not spare dramatist CK Shrestha and accused him of trying to divert the people’s attention by proposing a Gorkha National Satellite Council.

    He claimed, “The Gorkha National Satellite Council is but a brainchild of the central government to suppress the Gorkhaland agitation. He (Shrestha) has been making false claims that the North-East people are supporting such a council.”

    Source:EOI

    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) condemns the formation of the National Gorkha Council an alternative to Gorkhaland proposed by CK Shrestha a noted intellectual and dramatist. Shrestha has come with an idea of National Gorkha Council a national organization to find an enduring solution to the identity problem of the Gorkha community.His statement had come up while addressing a function held in Guwahati by Gorkha Bharati Bichar Mancha.BGP President insisted only and only Gorkhaland would be an apt solution to the crisis , which on historical basis, dates back to more than 108 years.


    Enos Das Pradhan BGP President Condemns National Gorkha Council
    Enos Das Pradhan BGP President 
    Enos Das Pradhan National President at Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh came up with the Facebook update -

    "Only separate state is the solution of all century old problems faced by the Gorkhas across the nation and the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh is committed to this cause and consistently leading this movement since 2006. When there is a need for all pro-separate state (Gorkhaland) groups to come under one platform the proposed formation of the national Gorkha Council as an alternative to the demand of Gorkhaland must be condemned from all quarters as this is an attempt by those anti-Gorkhaland forces engineered by the external sources to weaken the movement. The proposal has sent a wrong message accross the nation and I urge all Gorkha brethren in the Country to be careful of such divisive activities of such individuals."

    Text of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Letter to the Home Minister for Gorkhaland are as follows:

    New Delhi, February 20, 2014

    Hon’ble Mr Sushilkumar Shinde
    Home Minister of India
    New Delhi

    “After Telangana, democracy demands creation of Gorkhaland state”

    Respected Sir,

    The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, the representative pan-India body of Indian Gorkhas, congratulates you on having got the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, 2013, passed by the Lok Sabha toward creation of the state of Telangana despite the lack of unanimity in the Andhra Pradesh State Assembly on the matter. The people of Telangana have aspired long to have a state of their own and you have bravely taken the steps, in spite of numerous political hurdles, to see that their dream is now fulfilled. In this, we see the true spirit of democracy at work.

    The Gorkhas of India too have been petitioning the government in Delhi since 1907 for an administrative set up outside of West Bengal, with whom there is no commonality in terms of ethnicity, language, culture and history. But more than all these, it is the intense desire of the patriotic Gorkhas not to be misidentified as foreigners and settlers from a neighbouring country that underlines their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. 

    The government has sidelined the demand for the creation of a state under Article 3 of the Constitution by setting up ineffective and misconceived agencies like the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, all of which have failed to satisfy the Gorkha people, and, in fact, which have only strengthened the feeling among the community, resident across the length and breadth of India, that the Central Government does not regard their aspirations as of any consequence.

    Now that the United Progressive Alliance Government has seen it as democratically justifiable to heed the expectations of one group of citizens in Telangana region, it must also mete out equal justice to another group of citizens. We firmly urge you to accept the validity of the demand for a new state of Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling and Dooars region of West Bengal because it is voiced not just by the people of Darjeeling, but by Gorkha citizens from every part of India. In the spirit of justice, equality and democracy, please takes steps forthwith to legislate on the state of Gorkhaland in Parliament. 

    Faithfully yours,
    Munish Tamang
    General Secretary, Central Program Cell,
    Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh


    Source : The Darjeeling Chronicle


    The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) may have announced its support to independent candidate Dr. Mahendra P Lama in the general elections at the regional level, but organisation president Dr. Enos Das Pradhan today said the matter is yet to be discussed at the national level.
    BGP president Dr. Enos Das Pradhan.
    BGP president Dr. Enos Das Pradhan.
    Noting that the BGP is an apolitical body functioning at the national level, Pradhan said: “The BGP has been organising various activities at the national level in demand of Gorkhaland. There is need to elect a capable and sincere person as MP from the region in order to ensure the demand gets taken forward.” The BGP president claimed Lama has stepped forward to contest in the polls for the sole reason of pursuing the statehood demand and all BGP regional units will support him fully.  Praising Lama as the ideal candidate, Pradhan said: “He (Dr. Lama) understands and knows how the statehood agenda is to be raised in Delhi. He knows what is to be done. In the present scenario, Lama is a competent candidate.” The BGP chief also spoke on the hot issue of ‘son-of-the-soil’.

    Pradhan said: “Last time we elected BJP heavyweight Jashwant Sinha to the Lok Sabha. He was sent there for the primary issue of raising the statehood demand, but political compulsions restrained him from doing so to just on a solitary occasion.” He informed the BGP will host its national convention on March 9 and 10 in Siliguri. He said the issue of Gorkhaland will be discussed amongst members on the first day, while the final day will have discussions on the organisation’s activities.

    Source:EOI

    Mirik: The Bharatia Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), which has already declared support to independent candidate Dr. Mahendra P Lama for the general elections, is all set to start campaigning for him.
    Bharatia Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) to campaign for
    Dr. Mahendra P Lama

    Mirik regional BGP secretary NS Gadal said the organisation is chalking out strategies and will soon launch a massive campaign throughout the Darjeeling constituency.  Gadal said the BGP has been concentrating on campaigning to generate awareness among the people on the state of Gorkhaland. He added it is also focusing on expanding the organisation.

    The BGP leader also said the party has extended its support to Dr Lama in view of the fact that he is an eligible candidate and that if he is sent to Parliament, he would be able to do a lot for the Gorkha community. Stating Dr Lama is a son-of-the-soil, Gadal said supporting him is the need of the times despite him being an independent candidate.

    Source:EOI