NGC meets NHRC chief

Anil Pradhan, with NHRC Chief H L Dattu

PR, KalimNews, New Delhi, June 30, 2018: The National Gorkhaland Committee met key decision makers in New Delhi on Thursday and Friday and apprised them about the justified reasons for the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. On June 28, a team led by Shri Anil Pradhan, IPS (retd), met former chief justice of India H L Dattu, who now heads the National Human Rights Commission. On June 29, Shri Pradhan met Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba and  Intelligence Bureau director Rajib Jain.

NGC member Shri Pradhan, who is former police chief of Meghalaya, recalled the history of Indian Gorkhas to Chief Justice Dattu and reasoned how their legitimate political demands were not met till now, thus depriving them of their rightful place in India’s glorious history. The treatment of the patriotic Gorkhas by successive governments at the state and the Centre had led to the erroneous belief among the majority of Indians that the Indian Gorkhas were citizens of Nepal.

The NHRC chairman was also apprised about the inhuman shooting down of the late Dawa Bhutia by West Bengal Police, led by the superintendent of police of Kalimpong, in Namchi, South Sikkim, on September 1, 2017. Justice Dattu was informed that though an FIR had been registered, no progress in the case had been made till date. Justice Dattu advised filing of a petition in the NHRC highlighting the human rights violation.

On June 29, Shri Pradhan met the home secretary, Government of India, and the director, Intelligence Bureau in New Delhi, in separate meetings. Besides outlining the history of the Indian Gorkhas who had historically “come along with the land” to India, Shri Pradhan stressed on the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, commonly referred to as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ and the need to ensure stability there by creating the state of Gorkhaland. The two top officials were told how such a state would serve as a bulwark against any foreign intrusion. Grant of Gorkhaland state would also fulfill the aspiration of the Indian Gorkhas and confirm their national identity as Indians. 

All the three top officials listened attentively to the Gorkha history and the reasons why a demand for a separate state was being raised. All three, especially the director of IB, were sympathetic to this cause.

The NGC team gave the National Gorkhaland Committee’s Vision Documents to Justice Dattu, Shri Gauba and Shri Jain and invited all three to the first anniversary of NGC’s formation at the function planned in Darjeeling on September 14, 2018.