Tamang writes to Modi over communities' ST list inclusion

SNS, DARJEELING. 3 SEPTEMBER 20: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (BinoyTamang camp) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding inclusion of 11 Gorkha communities in the Scheduled Tribes list.

"I would like to bring it to your notice that on 2nd April, 2016, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had constituted a committee headed byAshok Pai to examine and grant tribal status to protect the rights of the 11 Gorkha communities living in Sikkim and other Gorkha- dominated states throughout the country. However, the committee did not visit Darjeeling nor submit any report for reasons best known to your department," Morcha leader Binoy Tamang has said in the letter addressed to the prime minister.

The 11 Gorkha communities in question are Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami,Yakhha (Dewan) and Dhimal.

The letter also mentions two other committees constituted after that headed by Vishu Maini and Meera Ranjan Tsheringla. Mr Tamang says that they visited the areas in Darjeeling and interacted with representatives of these communities, after which they made a comprehensive report recommending the inclusion of these communities in the ST list.

"Both the committees, while examining the inclusion of 11 communities in the scheduled tribe list, have looked into the criteria/modalities laid down by the Lukur committee for inclusion of any community in the list of scheduled tribes. All the indications of primitive traits, distinct culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact and backwardness of the community was thoroughly examined as exhibited and proved by all the communities during their visit to several areas," Mr Tamang said.

In the letter, he also reminds Mr Modi that during his visit to north Bengal on 7 April, 2016, he had promised to grant such status to the 11 Gorkha communities, after which, in April 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah had also repeated the same promise in Kalimpong.

(Courtesy & source- The Statesman- https://epaper.thestatesman.com/2808800/Siliguri-The-Statesman/04-TH-SEPTEMBER-2020#page/2/1)