`Identity' haunts MP....TAMANG SLAMS AHLUWALIA FOR JIBE ON DAD'S NATIONALITY

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 4 March 2019,  Darjeeling: S.S. Ahluwalia's statement in Nepali to quell protests in the hills has opened a new can of worms as his clarification suggested the "son-of thesoil candidate" jibe was directed at Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa.

Widespread protests erupted in the hills after Ahluwalia had said many of those demanding a son-of-thesoil candidate from Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat had been born in Nepal.

The Indian Gorkhas are extremely sensitive about identity and their distinctness from citizens of Nepal.

In an effort to douse the fire, the Darjeeling MP came up with two statements, one in English on Saturday and another in Nepali on Saturday evening.

The Nepali statement said "in reality, my questions were directed only against two persons -- one whose father served in the British army using Nepal citizenship and the oth- SS Ahluwalia, Binay Tamang er who worked in Dubai till a few years on Nepal citizenship. Can they talk about sonof-the-soil?.." Even though Ahluwalia had not named the two, many felt he was targeting Tamang and Thapa.

Instead of calming ruffled feathers, Ahluwalia's clarification in Nepali is expected to further antagonise the hill people whose long tradition of serving in armed forces is well documented.

"By questioning my father's identity and citizenship, the MP has questioned every Gorkha's identity," Tamang said on Sunday.

He said his father had joined the British army from Jalapahar (in Darjeeling) in 1952 where a centre had been opened in 1890 to recruit people from eastern Nepal and "Indian Gorkhas of Darjeeling district of West Bengal" to the British army.

To buttress his claim, Tamang also provided a weblink of the army and attached his father's "certificate of service" that says he was "enlisted at Jalaphar (India)" The Morcha president said his grandparents and father hailed from Bloomfield tea garden (near Dali in Darjeeling). "Mr Ahluwalia can visit my place and see for himself where my grandparents are buried. Their mortal remains still lie at Sirubari in the Bloomfield tea garden." Playing on the identity card, Tamang said: "The statement of the MP is an insult to all Gorkha jawans serving the nation and especially the Gorkha ex-servicemen including the former members of the British army." Tamang has also batted for Anit Thapa. "Many years ago, Thapa had gone to Dubai to work. But without finding out the details of his passport, how can the MP accuse him of not being an Indian citizen?" Ahluwalia did not take calls on both his mobile phone numbers. The Telegraph also sent Tamang's statement to his WhatsApp number for a response, but the MP is yet to respond.

Siliguri MLA and mayor Asok Bhattacharya also slammed the MP's statement and said there was no point in speaking about anyone's birthplaces.

Additional reporting from Avijit Sinha in Siliguri.