Land at last, for last rites

Biren Lama. Picture by Suman Tamang

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 30: Subash Ghisingh who fought an unsuccessful and frequently bloody battle for Gorkhaland will at long last get his own land, though symbolically.

According to Buddhist tradition followed in the hills, monks place Rs 1.25 on the ground at the beginning of the cremation rituals, symbolising buying of land to carry out the last rites.

Biren Lama, a retired state government official who has been Ghisingh's friend for over four decades, today spoke of his demand for land for the hill people, a common refrain in the GNLF leader's earlier speeches.

Lama said Ghisingh was left homeless after the administration pulled down his wooden hut, a time during which he spoke of the importance of having one's own land and own home. He had not yet coined the term "Gorkhaland", which in the 1980s and 90s became the rallying cry in the hills.

"Ghisingh's four-roomed wooden house, which was situated above the old Oberoi hotel, was pulled down by the state government in the late '70s. They cut the base of the house and then tied ropes around his house to pull it down. He told me: 'Today, Bengal has pulled down my house, I will one day pull down Bengal'," Lama said.

Subash Ghisingh’s body arrives at Bagdogra airport. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Lama said Ghisingh had encouraged homeless people to build houses on vacant land and he, too, made a small wooden structure. The administration pulled down all the huts.

Some of Ghisingh's speeches, according to Lama, made at Gitangadhara, a public space to make speeches at Chowk Bazar, were about land and homes for the hill people.

Before his home was demolished, Ghisingh started what was called the " chaar aana sadasyata (25 paise membership)" to create awareness for the political forum he wanted to float - which turned out to be the GNLF. "He started the 25-paise membership drive because of the Buddhist tradition of gathering money before starting the cremation rituals for buying one's own land. The membership drive was also based on the philosophy of getting one's own land," Lama said.

On Sunday, when Ghisingh will be cremated at his ancestral place in Manju tea estate, the lamas will first place coins totalling to Rs 1.25 on the ground before the rituals begin