Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s sole demand – ‘separate statehood within India’

When the government of India has no problem in creating smaller states like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, then what is the problem in creating another state – Gorkhaland just for the welfare of Gorkha community. We Gorkhas are living in the area around Darjeeling and the Duars in North West Bengal since decades. We need a separate state for ourselves to preserve our Nepali identity and to improve our socio-economic conditions. We just put forward a demand to create a separate state for us Gorkhas living in Darjeeling district and Duars of West Bengal and living in rest of India and abroad too. We see India as our motherland and ask for a separate state for ourselves within the constitutional framework of India.

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We are not interested in politics we just need the socio-economic development of our community and to contribute in the country’s development. I was an active worker of the Gorkhaland National Liberation Front that led the Gorkhaland movement in 1980's and used the name - Gorkhaland – for our land of dreams. The central government deviated our movement in late 80s by establishing the Darjiling Gorkha Hill Council within West Bengal. But the formation of council was proved as political gimmick and a cheating with Gorkha community. We received nothing in our hand.

I have joined Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) under the leadership of Bimal Gurung. Our movement has distinguished Darjeeling Gorkhas from people of Nepali origin living legally in India and from Nepali-speaking Indian citizens in rest of the country and even from the Nepali majority living in Sikkim. I would like to make sure the people sitting in New Delhi, who decide the fate of India, that we don’t need a separate state from India. Our demand is a separate state from West Bengal.

Subhash Gishing, leader of Gorkhaland National Liberation Front, failed to obtain a separate regional administrative identity for us. In the modern world, every country needs smaller state for inclusive development of the whole country. It is not less than shock when the Left Front government of West Bengal, which earlier had supported some form of autonomy for us, later opposed it by calling the movement as ‘anti-national’. How can anyone call us anti-national when we are just demanding a separate state for our community within the constitutional framework?

We have lost more than 1200 lives to get an autonomous hill district in late 80s and gave up the demand for a separate state after the creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. But now, we are feeling like cheated by the government of India, West Bengal government and by Subhash Ghising also.

Now, I have joined Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) to fight for the cause of separate statehood for Gorkha community because GNLF has become the mouthpiece of central government and put the issues on back seat. Bimal Gurung is our leader and we oppose autonomous self-governing Gorkha Hill Council in Darjeeling and tribal status under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. We want nothing except Gorkhaland.

It is surprising for us that the government is talking about Sixth Schedule, when they had already refused the same in 1988. We do not want Sixth Schedule. We do not want to move out of India. What we need is a separate state. We want to stay in India. When we are fighting with enemy country on border, then why are we not being given a separate state? What GNLF leader has done is betrayal of the aspirations of Gorkha people.

We don’t believe in violent means, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s youth wing has directed the workers to maintain discipline, especially while holding picketing; its teachers’ unit is distributing foodgrain among daily wage earners. We have allowed normal activity in the hills from 10 am to 2 pm but our call for indefinite strike will be continued.

The central government knows that the unique geographical location of our region is like a ‘Chicken's Neck’ between China and Bangladesh. It also connects the North-East region with rest of India. Inteligence agencies have expressed concerns over the importance of the region. We just want to assure the government that when we Gorkhas can protect our borders so strongly, we can protect our state also without wearing uniforms.