Gorkhas are Indigenous community so declare it by a gazette notification: GACDC to Govt of Assam

Respect Rally in honour of 'Pillar of Society' awardee 'Gorkhafa' from Dibrugarh Airport to Dhemaji Moharicamp 

Nanda Kirati Dewan, KalimNews, Guwahati,Assam, Dibrugarh/Dhemaji Aug 22: Historical, mythological conclusions and anthropological studies have proven Gorkhas to be not just indigenous but also aborigines of the Himalayan mountain range and we are progenies of an aboriginal community so Government of Assam should soon declare Gorkhas as indigenous community of Assam through gazette notification and create Gorkha Autonomous Council (GAC) for over all constitutional security and prosperity. This was stated by GACDC chairperson Harka Bahadur Chetry while interacting with media persons on Sunday at Dibrugarh on his arrival from New Delhi after receiving the prestigious ‘Pillar of Society’ international award conferred by an INGO working in the field of social justice domain.

Chetry thanked the organization for nominating him for the recognition and expressed gratitude to jury members for deeming him fit for the prestigious award. ‘I dedicate this award to the first martyr of Gorkha Autonomous Council Shaheed Birbol Limbu of Golaghat along with the martyrs of Gorkha Ekta Sabha held at Sonitpur. I feel this award is not my personal achievement but recognition of our struggle for indigenous community status in Assam and the Gorkha Autonomous Council (GAC) movement that was conceived in 1997 when I was the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) president. 

The name of our organization GACDC is self explanatory and as its chairman I am glad, honoured’, added Chetry. Most of his former AAGSU, GACDC colleagues in different associations and unions and counterparts in other community organizations too congratulated Harka Bahadur Chetry for the international award in social justice instituted and given by a reputed INGO in a welcome procession named ‘Respect Rally’ organized by Gorkha Autonomous Council Demand Committee (GACDC) in association with civil society, community, youths, students and woman organization from Dibrugarh Airport to Mohari camp in Dhemaji. Around 500 people people assembled in the airport to welcome their leader including his colleagues, family members, friends and district and regional units of AAGSU and GACDC from Dibrugarh, Sivsagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur districts along with Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), Assam Gorkha Sammelan (AGS) and Assam Nepali Sahitya Sabha (ANSS) leaderships.  Rai, Limbu, Mangar, Gurung, Newar, Tamang, Biswakarma and Damai and other community organizations congratulated and felicitated Gorkhafa. 

Around 60 cars rallied till his hometown Gogamukh where a huge welcome gate was erected to by local community organization welcome their leader. From Gogamukh to Moharicamp his residence where  the car rallyist were joined by a huge cultural procession including women and senior citizens playing traditional instruments and shouting slogans ‘We want GAC’, ‘Gorkhas are indigenous community’.  

The rally concluded with a meeting at Chetry’s residence where he thanked the people for joining ‘Respect Rally’ and participating at the ‘Community Reception and Public Felicitation’.

In 2016 while National Register of Citizens (NRC) was being updated and Gorkhas names were being stricken off from NRC assuming them to be from neighbouring nation Nepal instead of being an Original Inhabitant (OI) of Assam, Harka Bahadur Chetry undertook 650 kms Marathon March (Long foot march from Murkungselek Jonai in Dhemaji to Dispur in Guwahati) in seeking Assamese identity for the Gorkhas stating that Assam Accord cut off year is not applicable on Gorkhas since the community is indigenous of India and not from the specified territory i.e Bangladesh as stated in the accord.  This resulted in one on one meeting with the then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and various departments of Government of Assam where the then CM proposed bipartite Home & Political Affairs Commissioner & Secretary level talks between GACDC and Government of Assam on granting indigenous status to Gorkhas of Assam vide Gazette Notification which is still on. 

It was under his leadership he dreamt of an autonomous council for Gorkhas when he became president of AAGSU in 1996 and resolved at its annual conference at Boginadi Higher Secondary School in North Lakhimpur in 1997 for self determination and indigenous identity of Gorkhas in Assam. 

The AAGSU after wide range of consultations with various stakeholders and seminars through a public session formed GACDC for parliamentary revolution with Dr. Harka Bahadur Chetry (Founder president of AAGSU in 1976) as president. ‘Pillar of Society’ awardee Harka Bahadur Chetry was elected the president of GACDC in 2003 after he was relieved from AAGSU after 2002 silver jubilee conference and yearlong celebrations. Since then he has been spearheading the GAC movement for the last 20 years with firm determination to achieve GAC on or before its silver jubilee.    

‘Gorkhafa’ Harka Bahadur Chetry, Chairman of Gorkha Autonomous Council Demand Committee (GACDC) received ‘Pillar of Society’ international award for 2021-22 session was conferred on Sunday at the Constitution Club of India, Sansad Marg in New Delhi by Social Justice for International Civil Rights Council (SJFICRC) affiliated to Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)’s civil society of United Nations (UN) and National Anti Crime and Human Rights Council of India (NACHRCOI) affiliated to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India for being a crusader for Gorkha community’s human and constitutional rights and in social justice domain. 

Chetry was decorated with an award certificate, citation and a name inscribed medal by SJFICRC International President G Vanneri, India President Md. Shanon Shaikh and Founder Director Dr. Diwas Lama and Sabita Gurung. 56 years old Chetry joined the students union in 1981 and led AAGSU as president since 1996 for three consecutive terms and has been leading GACDC for 6 consecutive terms. Son of freedom fighter Late Nar Bahadur Chetry, Gorkhafa, a gold medalist in Anthropology from Dibrugarh University, is one of most credible, longest serving and active and also one of tallest leaders of Gorkhas in India from Assam.