By SHWETA RAJ KANWAR 100 years and more, the longest statehood demand in India’s history, the demand for Gorkhaland has, many times reached its peak; and yet has always come tumbling down. Time and again, the unfulfilled aspirations have been doused by temporary promises and in 2017, the ‘Queen of Hills’ was under siege as […]

“GJM has been an alliance partner of BJP in NDA. In its manifesto for the last two general elections of 2009 and 2014, the BJP had stated that it will ‘sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long pending demand of Gorkhas and Adivasis’. We would therefore now appeal to you to take this assurance of […]

गोर्खाल्यान्डको लागि भविष्यको बाटो प्रतिविम्ब न्यूज दार्जीलिङ, 22 अप्रेल राष्ट्रिय गोर्खाल्यान्ड कमिटीले हिजो अलग राज्य गोर्खाल्यान्डको लागि भिजन डकुमेन्ट जारी गर्यो। पुस्तकको रूपमा प्रकाशमा ल्याइएको यस दस्तावेजमा गोर्खाल्यान्डलाई वान पोइन्ट एजेन्डा मानेको छ। यसै दस्तावेजमा कमिटीले गोर्खाल्यान्डको लागि भविष्यको बाटो पनि बनाएको छ. जसको एकांश यस्तो छ। अन्य राज्यहरूको माग भारतमा आठवटा क्षेत्रले राज्यको माग […]

The crisis in Darjeeling seemed to deepen with the all-party meeting called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders on Tuesday afternoon ending a unanimous decision to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland that was a direct challenge to chief minister Mamata Banerjee who has vowed not to allow a split of Bengal. The five […]

The Daily Fix: The Big Story: A Union of linguistic states The hills of West Bengal have been in turmoil for the past week. The agitation started when Nepali-speaking Gorkhas began to protest against the decision of the Mamata Banerjee government to make Bengali compulsory in school. But given that the movement has continued even […]

HILLS TO PROTEST LINGUISTIC IMPERIALISM – Two Day Education Strike Called Writes: Vivek Chhetri Bimal Gurung yesterday called a two-day education strike in the hills this week and a series of marches during the chief minister’s impending visit to protest the state government’s move to make Bengali a compulsory subject at schools. The Gorkha Janmukti […]

Why has the demand for Gorkhaland returned to Darjeeling? Written by Aniruddha Ghosal The demand for a seperate Gorkha state is an issue that since its first origins in the 1970s has dictated politics in the hills. September 28, 2016 In 2009, Mamata Banerjee’s proximity to Bimal Gurung was a cause of great concern for […]

DARJEELING 27 Jul 2016 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today vented his frustration and anger at the state government for its alleged interference and threatened to re-start the statehood movement. He said so during a programme organised by the party to observe Shahid Diwas, to commemorate the deaths of more than 1,200 people killed […]

Darjeeling 10 Aug 2016 After the central committee of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha rendered clarifications on its party president’s recent statement calling for an armed struggle, its youth front today  said a rally will be held on Thursday to spread awareness about the statehood demand. Talking to reporters, Anil Rasaily, the Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha […]

After Brexit, Arvind Kejriwal has pitched for what may be termed a “Dexit” – Delhi’s liberation from central control. “After UK referendum, Delhi will soon have a referendum on full statehood,” the Delhi chief minister tweeted today. The Constitution, however, lacks any provision for settling issues through referendums. Kejriwal’s call generated an animated debate, with […]

Writes: Upendra The gentleman from Kolkata who questioned if Gorkhas have a right to demand Gorkhaland in India, was properly answered by Mr Suhotra Banerjee a Gorkha Bengali from Darjeeling… He wrote, “Goethals, Victoria,Downhill, HBS (to certain extent) students (hostelite) can say that as maximum of them had no connect with the town. They used […]

Writes: Jyoti Thapa Mani* Gorkhaland is a huge question mark shaped cloud in the sky. The region never belonged to West Bengal. Yes. The demand for the Gorkha people’s recognition in the Darjeeling Hills is more than 100 years. Yes. The Nepali-speaking Indians need their distinct ethnic identity is India. Yes. So where is the […]

“Next time if we contest for Prime Ministerial seat we will win” Dr. Harka at JAP Youth Rally in ‪‎Kalimpong‬ A well attended rally by youths from various parts of Kalimpong yesterday led Dr. Harka Chettri to declare “today marks the end of Morcha rule in our hills…” Speaking to the enthusiastic youths, who were […]

Writes Sougata Mukhopadhyay With the political honeymoon with Mamata Banerjee now well and truly over, the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland has returned to reverberate around the hills of Darjeeling. This time the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has raked up the demand with the state elections as excuse. Morcha candidate from Darjeeling, Amar Rai, […]

How a Bollywood Movie Stereotype Made Me Reflect on the “Identity Crisis” We ‪Gorkhas‬ Face, and Why ‪Gorkhaland‬ is Necessary Writes: Abriti Moktan* I was doing a project on the “identity crisis” faced by the Gorkha communities in India and after having worked on it I have become more sensitive towards the issue. My brother […]

Writes: N N Ojha The demand for Gorkhaland as a political and administrative entity separate from the province of Bengal (now state of West Bengal) has the formidable distinction of being the oldest surviving statehood demand within the Indian Union. Equally redoubtable is its distinction of having enjoyed and also continuing to enjoy absolutely unconditional […]

दिनांक १८ फरवरी २०१६ बिहीवार को दिन गोर्खा फाउनडेशनको प्रतिनिधीहरुले दिल्लीका मुख्य मन्त्री श्रीमान अरबिन्द केजरिवालज्युलाई वहाँको बासस्थानमा भेटघाट गरे । उक्त भेटघाटमा गोर्खा फाउनडेशनको प्रतीनिधीहरुले मुख्य मन्त्रीलाई केही मांगहरुको बिन्ती पत्र सुम्पे । मुख्य मन्त्रीज्युले गोर्खा फाउनडेशनको बिन्ती पत्रलाई ध्यान पूर्वक पडी दिनु भयो साथै वहाँले चाडै यस बिषयमा समाधान गरी दिने बचन दिनु […]

Hill party’s dharna for land rights Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, Feb. 17: The Jan Andolan Party started an indefinite dharna on the premises of the Darjeeling district magistrate’s office today to demand land rights for people living in tea gardens and cinchona plantations in the hills. The agitation signals the launch of a campaign by the […]