Census, Land Rights, and SIR Take Centre Stage at Mirik Event

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 10 Aug 2025, Darjeeling: An awareness and interactive programme focused on ‘land’, ‘census’, and the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls brought together community leaders, activists, and citizens at the Ex-Servicemen Bhawan in Mirik on Sunday. The event was jointly organized by the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (a pan-Indian Gorkha welfare organization) and Bharatiya Gorkha Jan Awaaz under the chairmanship of senior citizen L.B. Dewan.

Retired Deputy Director of the Indian Census Department, Mohan Kumar Labar, emphasized the importance of accurate census data for political, social, and regional development. He explained, “Accurate facts about the population—such as caste, scheduled caste, tribe, mother tongue, and region—are collected through the census. On the basis of this, development programmes are prepared. Hence, the census is very important for the Darjeeling region.”

Labar urged everyone to actively participate in the census and provide correct information. He also pointed out that the government can schedule the census at any time and that delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies is carried out based on population and demographic data obtained through the census. He appealed to the Indian Gorkha community to list their mother tongue as Nepali and their caste as Gorkha in the census.

In the programme, Speaker Thendup Sherpa raised concerns about the failure of both the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) and the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) to utilize their rights to land distribution, a power granted under the DGHC Act and now the GTA. “We have written to the State Government regarding this. If there is no reply, we will file an RTI. If that too fails to evoke a response, we will seek legal recourse,” Sherpa stated.

Jeevan Bhandari cautioned about the declining official counts of Nepali speakers across India. Environmentalist Bharat Prakash Rai called for unity to protect the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling hills. Labour rights, ethnic identity, and land issues were also discussed by speakers at the event.

Mirik area convener Jeevan Kumar Rai hailed the event as a first-of-its-kind effort in the town, noting the strong turnout from various organizations and civil society groups. The event also aimed to raise awareness and encourage active participation from the community in these pressing issues.

Courtesy & source: Millennium Post