Govt not to recommend ST status for Gorkhas... Govt wants ‘backward dist’ status for Darjeeling

SNS, Kolkata, 2 December 2014: The state government has declined to recommend tribal status for the people hailing from Darjeeling Hills as demanded by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM).

Instead, efforts will be initiated to declare Darjeeling as a ‘backward district’ so as to enable it to gain additional grants under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme.

Inclusion of Gorkhas in the ST list is the most sought-after demand by the non-tribal communities in the Hills, apart from the statehood issue. Sources at Nabanna said recommending ST status for Gorkhas to the Centre is difficult since the communities of the region fail to match the main criteria of “social and economic backwardness along with tribal characteristics” of tribals. 

"If GJMM places the demand for tribal status at the tripartite meeting, we will neither oppose them nor recommend it. Instead, we are trying to arrange additional financial assistance for development of the region," said a senior state government official.

A backward district receives funds under various heads of BRGF scheme for development and upgradation. During a visit to North Bengal in January last year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had herself assured that she would urge the Centre to include various indigenous communities from the region in the ST list. Following which GJMM had placed their demand before the state government several times and had even urged the Centre to expedite the process of granting ST status to them.

Infact, a proposal recommending ST status for 10 Darjeeling Hill communities ~ Rai, Yakkha, Gurung, Bhujel, Newar, Jogi, Sunwar-Mukhia, Mangar, Khas and Thami ~ had been submitted by the state government to the Centre prior to the Lok Sabha polls.

However, the Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs has reportedly failed to approve it.

During yesterday's meeting with Miss Banerjee at Nabanna, GJMM chief Bimal Gurung has yet again requested her to take up the issue with the Centre.