Why Gorkhas are demanding a separate state? - Identity crises a major reason behind the demand

Vivek Ghatani, KalimNews, 22 August 2013: I am not to be a columnist in this section but as a part-time journalist my perception towards the demand for a separate state in North Bengal vis-à-vis Gorkhaland in the hills and Kamtapur in the plains definitely needs serious attention. The demand for Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills obviously is in the forefront while the demand for Kamtapur is crawling slowly that has no doubt brought instability to the region which is a serious concern for the people in North Bengal.

With demands for separate state burgeoning at rapid speed after chief minister’s uncalculated claim that the Darjeeling hills is smiling is yet another testimony of the governments failure. The government is acting blindly without knowing the consequences. The most serious issue lies in the fact that the aspiration of the people is being dampened. The people of the hills have one issue and that is the identity crises that the Gorkhas living in India is facing since decades.

What makes the rest of the country tag the ‘Gorkhas’ as outsiders, infiltrators, foreigners etc? The demand for Gorkhaland is over 100 years olds that itself signifies that the hill people are living in India since decades and precisely even before the independence. The question of them being outsiders therefore should not arise.

Given that the ‘Gorkhas’ have always been tagged as ‘foreigners’ is the prime reason why the demand for a separate state has evoked time and again.  Further the government’s dumb attitude towards the issue has sparked more anger among the Gorkhas who has vowed to prove their identity in India.

Another factor that makes the issue debatable is the recognition of the Nepali Language as one of the Indian languages under the eight schedule of the constitution. How can the government recognize a language under the constitution of India and simultaneously the rest of the country tags Gorkhas as foreign nationals?  The question needs to be answered by the government at the earliest.

The defence mechanism of the country consists of Gorkha rifles, an army battalion that is in charge of manning the country like the Sikh regiment. The very existence of the battalion proves that the Gorkhas are Indians in the larger context of the euphuism. The people of the country should be aware of the fact.

The hills people comprises of mostly infiltrators as complained by a Rajbonshi outfit just yesterday, also demanding separate Kamtapur state, is surely aware of the fact that infiltration has happed from Bangladesh in the plains of North Bengal and not in the hills. All in the region are aware that the erstwhile government vis-à-vis the so called left Front banked on the votes of these infiltrators only a few days ago.

Again, the other way round it is not justified that people who guard the country cannot be called as ‘infiltrators’. The Rajbongshis do not have a regiment nor its language recognized. Finally, the Gorkhas are one hundred percent right in demanding a separate state which is the only way out to eradicate the identity crises.  

The government ofcourse must act in the true sense and unbiased. Only then Mamata Bannerjee’s hills would be ‘smiling’.