Darj seminar talks 'crucial' Sixth Schedule

SNS, DARJEELING, 16 DECEMBER 2018:Participants at a seminar on 'Sixth Schedule' held here today stressed on the importance of the Hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong being accorded the Schedule status under the Indian Constitution.

Though the organisers of the programme today at the Dukhaniwarak Sammelan Bhawan, the Sixth Schedule Prachar Prasar Committee, claims it is an apolitical organisations, it does have members of the Gorkha National Liberation Front, a political party that has been demanding such a status for the Hills for long now.

"If the Sixth Schedule had been implemented in the year 2005 itself, a separate state would have been formed by now. Due to many reasons, the Sixth Schedule could not be implemented, but it seems that people are getting more aware of this issue which is good," academician Mahendra P Lama, who was one of the main speakers in today's programme, said.

It may be mentioned here that a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) for the implementation of Sixth Schedule was signed between the state, Centre and the GNLF on 6 December 2005. However, with many political parties here objecting to the same, the Bill was not passed in the Lok Sabha.

However, on 18 July 2011, a new agreement was signed between the Centre, state and the then ruling party,Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, for the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

On the other hand, another academician, Munish Tamang, said, "Many were against Sixth Schedule in 2007, but then the GTA was accepted,which was a weak and an unconstitutional system. Those that accepted the GTA and were happy then have forfeited the right to go against Sixth Schedule. That time they were comparing statehood with Sixth Schedule, but in the end it was not statehood but GTA that they accepted."

"During that time, we should have seen what the next step was after DGHC (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) and should have accepted what was above it and not below it" he said.

According to him, the government is not addressing their state hood demand or calling them to hold talks. "We should understand this, that the Indian government is not interested in any constitutional solution for us, be it Sixth Schedule or statehood or any such thing. We want to tell the government that there are many constitutional models of administration and the government should tell us and initiate it, but our precondition is that there should be the right of self representation in it," said Mr Tamang.

The programme also saw representatives from other organizations and parties like the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and the All India Nepali Scheduled Caste Association.