Neeraj Zimba Writes to President for ST Status for Left-Out Communities, for Both Darjeeling and Sikkim

EOI, DARJEELING, FEBRUARY 5, 2025 :  Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba on Wednesday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, appealing for her intervention in the demand for Scheduled Tribe status for left-out Gorkha communities.

In the letter, Zimba said: “I submit this urgent appeal regarding the long-pending and legitimate demand for the inclusion of 11 left-out Gorkha tribes of West Bengal and 12 left-out Gorkha tribes of Sikkim in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.”

Zimba said that despite “unanimous political consensus” in the Darjeeling hills, the Terai, and the Dooars, as well as formal recommendations from the West Bengal Government and a state resolution passed by the Sikkim Government, this issue remained unresolved at the Union level.

“The continued delay is a matter of grave injustice for the Gorkha community, which has a rich history of service to the nation and has always stood as a pillar of India's sovereignty and security,” he said. For generations, the Gorkha people had made immense contributions to India's defense forces, playing a vital role in safeguarding the nation's borders, he pointed out.

The Darjeeling MLA added that prior to Independence, the Gorkha sub-tribes were recognized as Hill Tribes and governed under special administrative classifications such as non-regulated areas, scheduled districts, and partially excluded areas, all of which were meant exclusively for tribal communities. He said that this had changed after Independence.

“Currently, only seven out of 187 Gorkha sub-tribes have been granted ST status in West Bengal, while 11 remain excluded despite meeting all necessary eligibility criteria. Additionally, the Sikkim government has sought ST recognition for 12 Gorkha tribes, further reinforcing the urgency of this issue beyond just West Bengal,” said Zimba.

The demand is being made to include the left-out Gorkha tribes like Gurung, Bhujel, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakkha, and Dhimal, with the demand for the Majhi community also added in Sikkim.

In his letter, Zimba also highlighted the efforts of Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang Golay in strongly advocating for the ST status demand.

Zimba, who is a BJP MLA, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given the statement "Gorkha ka Sapna, Mera Sapna." But despite continuous appeals and multiple representations, this issue remained unresolved at the highest levels of governance.

He also pointed out that since the year 2009, the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat has been represented by the BJP, yet this long-standing issue had not reached a final resolution.

“Despite strong political will, the process remains stuck due to bureaucratic delays at multiple levels; particularly within the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI), and the Registrar General of India (RGI),” he said.

“At one stage, the RGI had opposed the demand, citing concerns over a potential influx of Gorkhas from Nepal; an argument that is logically flawed and baseless,” he added.

Zimba requested President Murmu to intervene and recommend urgent action on this issue and ensure that the final recommendation is sent to the Union Cabinet, along with directives to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, AnSI, and RGI to finalize and submit their reports without unnecessary delays.

The BJP MLA urged the President to ensure that political assurances were swiftly translated into administrative action, thus preventing further disillusionment among the Gorkha community.