The Dhimals: about time the govt paid attention

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, Siliguri, 9 Oct 2014: Nobody remembers them while few even know they exist. However, the outsiders are not to blame because the Dhimals hardly feature on the administration’s radar. The Dhimals, arguably one of the country’s smallest communities, have been vying for a long time for the attention of the government.

Despite many attempts to convince the Centre and the state governments about their urgent need for being accorded tribal status, the Dhimals stand neglected. They are firmly convinced that achieving tribal status will only boost the chances of their survival.  The Dhimals lament that while the Limbus and Tamangs of the Nepali community were granted Scheduled Tribe status in December 2012, they were left out in the cold.

Of the 998-odd members, only two Dhimals have got government jobs so far. The Dhimal population was relatively healthy in the 1960s, but poverty, deprivation and disease have shrunk their numbers. They still live in fear of elephant attacks, malaria and water-borne diseases. Eleven Dhimals were killed in elephant attacks in 2005. Many of their habitats do not have drinking water facilities and they need to trudge nearly a kilometre just to fetch a bucket of water.

Many Dhimals have forsaken their true identities and merged with the Rajbongshi community while some have migrated to Nepal. The remaining members are stuck in hamlets such as Ketugapur, Maourijote, Goldas, Sadamallick, Huchaimallick, Mallabari and Sebore in Naxalbari block. 

Interestingly, the title Dhimal was changed to Mallicklong several years ago, but one knows who did it and why. Since then, instead of using Dhimal, community members have adopted Mallick as their official title.

According to some members, the state government sent a notification in 1995 announcing the Dhimals had been included in the Scheduled Caste category. They were eventually accorded the status under the title ‘Mallick’. However, nearly 50 percent of the Dhimal population is yet to receive the SC certificate from the Naxalbari block administration.

Gora Mallick (85), the community’s oldest living member, said, “We live amid utter hardship, the government does not look after us. We are crying for social justice as we have equal rights to live like others in independent India.” 

The Dhimals have realised the need for sustained pressure to achieve their demand. At the same time, they are also conscious they are very few in number.

Garjan Kumar Mallick, general secretary of the Dhimal Jati Astitwa Raksha O Kalyan Samity, is now leading the community to fight for its very existence. He said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has promised to fulfill the longstanding demands of the Dhimals during her last visit to Siliguri.

Pinky Mallick and Hardeep Mallick are the two most-educated youths among the Dhimal community. Hardeep has completed his Masters in Commerce and is presently working in Siliguri for a private audit farm, while Pinky is doing her MA from North Bengal University.