Assam CM promises to end ‘harassment of Gorkhas in the name of identification of foreigners’

Gorkhas are an integral part of the Asomiya Society. The Assam Government is committed to fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the Gorkhas of Assam.: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, 21 APRIL 2023 :
Darjeeling M.P. Raju Bista on Friday thanked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for removing Gorkhas from the list of' Doubtful Voters' in Assam, and for taking back all cases filed against Gorkhas in the Foreigners Tribunal. He also thanked Sharma for Including Gorkhas as "protected class" in the Tribal Belts and Blocks of Assam, and for promoting the teaching and learning of the Gorkha language.

Bista joined Sharma in celebrating the 57th Sammelan Divas of Assam Gorkha Sammelan (AGS) at the Padma Singh Thapa Samannay Kshetra, Gorpal, Assam. Gorkhas from across Assam were present on the occasion.

An Assam Government Press release said Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Gorkhas were an integral part of the Asomiya Society. The Assam Government was committed to fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the Gorkhas of Assam.

“The current dispensation in Assam has put an end to the harassment of Gorkhas in Assam in the name of identification of foreigners.” He also spoke about initiatives such as conferring the ‘protected class’ status to the Gorkhas, aimed at socio-economic empowerment of the community. Steps would be taken to issue ‘Gorkha certificates’ through dedicated portals. This would help them to enroll in the armed forces. 

From now onwards, Assam Gorkha Sammelan would have the authority to issue OBC certificates to Gorkhas Addressing the gathering Bista said: "Even today, the Chief Minister had made many positive announcements for the Gorkhas of Assam. Thanks to CM Himanata ji's efforts, today Gorkhas and every other tribe and communities are living in harmony in Assam, and working towards building a bright future for our nation.

"He also highlighted the contribution made by Gorkhas of Assam, right from the freedom struggle, and mentioned Assamese Gorkha freedom fighters like Anantlal Sharma, Chabilal Upadhyay, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, Dalbir Singh Lohar.

“They have left an indelible mark in the history of our nation,” he said. “The first female martyr during the 'Assam Andolan' in 1979 was a Gorkha lady Baijanti Devi, who along with other Assamese Gorkhas like Padam Bahadur Chettri, Kul Bahadur, Rudra Mohan Rai, Tulsi Sharma have made the ultimate sacrifice for safeguarding the 'Assamese identity' from illegal immigrants.”

Bista also informed the gathering that the Gorkhas should be proud of their history and the legacy of their ancestors.

"We must learn to take pride in the fact that despite being a micro-minority community, numbering just15 million in a population of1.4 billion, the Gorkhas have earned a name and respect for ourselves –through our hard work, honesty, sincerity, and bravery. We must work harder to keep up the names of our ancestors, and to carve a space and identity for ourselves in the nation,"said Bista.