NATIONAL SEMINAR REVIEWS INDO-NEPAL FREINDSHIP TREATY OF 1950

KalimNews, Dehradun, 15 January 2015: Uttarakhand State Committee of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh is all set to organise a seminar in Dehradun on 17 January. It will be held in Manek Shaw Bhavan of Gorkhali Sudhar Sabha in Gadicant. Dr Mahendra P. Lama Ex vice Chancellor and founding Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University and pro-vice chancellor of IGNOU, Joel Rai Associate Editor of Business Standard and Retired Brig C.S.Thapa will address the audience about the implications of Article 7 of Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty and the identity crisis felt by the Indian Gorkhas. It is to be noted that during the visit of Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister both the Indian and Nepalese Prime Minster agreed to amend the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty 1950.

Identity crisis facing by all Indian Gorkhas is based on Article 7 of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950). It states “The Governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on a reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature.” This makes it difficult to identify the Indian citizens of Nepali ethnicity from the Nepalese citizens who have migrated to India for work and livelihood purposes as allowed under the Treaty.

The interaction will focus on the problems faced due to the Article 7 and the proposed amendments of the treaty which could clearly differentiate the difference between the Gorkhas of India and Nepal.

Similar seminar was jointly organised by the BGP and DDUDF in Kalimpong Town Hall last year. The seminar in Kalimpong lead by a discussion panel that consisted of DDUDF Chief Dr P Lama, BGP National President Dr Enos Das Pradhan, Kalimpong MLA Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri, Brig. C S Thapa (retd) and Col D S Kharga from Dehradun, Mr. B B Chettri from Meghalaya, BGP Spokesperson Mr Nityananda Upadhaya from Assam and Mr Pashupati Sharma, NGOs and representatives of local organisations.

During the seminar Dr. Mahendra P Lama had said that citizenship is a technical issue whereas identity is a political issue and formation of a separate state would solve both the issues.