‘No 6th Schedule status for Hills until all Gorkhas are included in ST list’

Amitava Banerjee | MP | 2 Aug 2023 : “Unless 11 left out Gorkha sub-communities are not included in the Scheduled Cast list, 6th Schedule status cannot be granted to the Hills. Earlier also, the entire Hills had objected to the 6th Schedule,” stated Bimal Gurung, enroute to Delhi to join a dharna — dubbed as a wakeup call for the BJP-led union government. 

After a lull, with the run up to the Parliamentary elections in 2024, the demand for ‘Gorkhaland’ is making a steady comeback. 

The Hill parties are making a beeline to Delhi to remind the BJP-led union government of their assurances. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung also departed for Delhi on Wednesday, along with front rung leaders including, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri. 

“The women’s wing of the GJM is holding a dharna at the Jantar Mantar, in Delhi, on August 4, 5 and 6. The dharna is to remind the BJP-led union government of their commitment of a permanent political solution to resolve the Gorkha impasse and include 11 Gorkha sub-communities in the ST list. They had made these commitments in the party election manifesto during the 2019 parliamentary elections. 

However, it has not been translated into action,” stated Gurung while talking to mediapersons, at Bagdogra. He even issued an ultimatum to the union government to get the ball rolling by August 15. “This is not 2009, 2014 or 2019. 

We are not with NDA anymore and are functioning independently. If there is no announcement on these issues by August 15, then we will rethink our strategy for 2024,” cautioned Gurung. 

Gurung and the GJM had supported the BJP candidates during Lok Sabha elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019 ensuring their victory from the Darjeeling parliamentary constituency. When questioned on whether the GJM would agree on 6th Schedule status for the Hills as the solution, Gurung waved it off stating: “The entire Hills was against it earlier as it is a special provision for Tribes. Tribes were not in majority earlier. 6th Schedule can only be implemented after 11 left out Gorkha sub-communities have been declared as Scheduled Tribes.” 

Incidentally, Gurung and the GJM had come into power in the Hills by initially launching an agitation against the 6th Schedule status mooted by Subash Ghising and the GNLF. They had then swung the agitation to a Gorkhaland agitation, thereby ousting Ghising and the GNLF from the Hills. 

The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was replaced by the GTA with the signing of the memorandum of agreement for GTA on July 18, 2011, paving the way for the GTA and ringing an end to the agitation. 

The Gorkhaland Activist Samuha (GAS) also held a dharna at the Jantar Mantar, in Delhi, on July 29 and 30 with the same demands. “We have been able to sensitise the people about Gorkhaland demand. 

Till Gorkhaland is not formed, our struggle will continue. Political outfits should not compromise on any other arrangement other than Gorkhaland,” stated Kishor Pradhan of the GAS, on his way back from Delhi. 

The Democratic Revolutionary Youth Federation (DRYF) also pasted posters in Darjeeling town urging BJP to fulfill their commitments. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/no-6th-schedule-status-for-hills-until-all-gorkhas-are-included-in-st-list-527914