FIGHT FOR A NEW HOME
-Sumanta Sen
First it was Subash Ghisingh. Then it was Bimal Gurung’s turn. Now, both of them have separately demanded for a Gorkhaland. Of course, the two are not the only players in the hills — the demand for Gorkhaland has also been voiced by the Gorkha League and by the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists. Right now, it is not so much a question of whether the demand will be met as to who will upstage whom. In the midst of the tussle, a pertinent question seems to have got lost.The question is how valid is the Nepalese claim to Darjeeling, which includes Kalimpong and Kurseong? Are they the original inhabitants? The answer, unfortunately, is a ‘No’. The area concerned had been gifted to the British by the king of Sikkim for driving away the Gorkha invaders from Nepal. The East India Company needed a place of rest and recuperation for its servants and the hill resort came up with Dr Campbell’s help. So, if one looks at history, it is evident that it is the Sikkimese, and not the Nepalese, who can lay a rightful claim to Darjeeling.Ghisingh himself is aware of this truth. He also knows that Sikkim will never press for such a claim. With Sikkim safely out of the way, Ghisingh demanded that since the treaties signed with the British had become null and void after Independence, Darjeeling ought to be gifted to him as his fief. However, when nobody paid him any attention, he had to change tact. The fact remains that the Nepalese are not the original inhabitants of Darjeeling. Neither Ghisingh nor the others will be able to change the truth.Rights and wrongsIn the Eighties, Ghisingh sought to establish links with the Gorkhas, who had overrun the territory before being forced back. The Gorkhas, however, are a small community in Nepal. They fought their way to win power in Kathmandu, and then looked around to extend their territory. But this does not mean that every Nepali is a Gorkha. Strictly speaking, the Nepalese in Darjeeling can be dubbed ‘foreigners’ because they have come from another country. Nobody calls them foreigners because they have now become a part of the population. Some of them have even got themselves elected to the state legislature. At the same time, there is the issue of influx from the Indo-Nepal border. Is the demand for a new state legitimate in an area with such a high rate of influx? The time is ripe for a discussion on the issue of immigration from Nepal. Perhaps measures such as the fencing of borders would have to be put in place. But whether India takes this up with the new dispensation in Kathmandu remains to be seen. Also, will the supporters of Gorkhaland agree to this? Ghisingh perhaps will not, considering the fact that he was supported by the palace in the former kingdom. The Maoists in Nepal may not be too happy with the proposal to fence off the border either. Gorkhaland can never be termed a birth right for the Nepalese. They might have the numbers on their side, which, in fact, have enabled their leaders to often adopt violent means while demanding a new state. The display of muscle power has also ensured that they ride roughshod over a Buddhist culture, which advocates peace, friendship and harmony.Should numbers alone be the deciding factor when it comes to determining the future of the hills ? Bringing the hills under the Sixth Schedule would be the best way to break the present deadlock. The Sixth Schedule acknowledges, to a large measure, the right to self-determination as well as the issue of protection of minorities. Opposing the Sixth Schedule, more for personal reasons than anything else, can only be an invitation to further unrest, especially since Messrs Ghisingh and Gurung have threatened to take the agitation to the Dooars.
-Sumanta Sen
First it was Subash Ghisingh. Then it was Bimal Gurung’s turn. Now, both of them have separately demanded for a Gorkhaland. Of course, the two are not the only players in the hills — the demand for Gorkhaland has also been voiced by the Gorkha League and by the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists. Right now, it is not so much a question of whether the demand will be met as to who will upstage whom. In the midst of the tussle, a pertinent question seems to have got lost.The question is how valid is the Nepalese claim to Darjeeling, which includes Kalimpong and Kurseong? Are they the original inhabitants? The answer, unfortunately, is a ‘No’. The area concerned had been gifted to the British by the king of Sikkim for driving away the Gorkha invaders from Nepal. The East India Company needed a place of rest and recuperation for its servants and the hill resort came up with Dr Campbell’s help. So, if one looks at history, it is evident that it is the Sikkimese, and not the Nepalese, who can lay a rightful claim to Darjeeling.Ghisingh himself is aware of this truth. He also knows that Sikkim will never press for such a claim. With Sikkim safely out of the way, Ghisingh demanded that since the treaties signed with the British had become null and void after Independence, Darjeeling ought to be gifted to him as his fief. However, when nobody paid him any attention, he had to change tact. The fact remains that the Nepalese are not the original inhabitants of Darjeeling. Neither Ghisingh nor the others will be able to change the truth.Rights and wrongsIn the Eighties, Ghisingh sought to establish links with the Gorkhas, who had overrun the territory before being forced back. The Gorkhas, however, are a small community in Nepal. They fought their way to win power in Kathmandu, and then looked around to extend their territory. But this does not mean that every Nepali is a Gorkha. Strictly speaking, the Nepalese in Darjeeling can be dubbed ‘foreigners’ because they have come from another country. Nobody calls them foreigners because they have now become a part of the population. Some of them have even got themselves elected to the state legislature. At the same time, there is the issue of influx from the Indo-Nepal border. Is the demand for a new state legitimate in an area with such a high rate of influx? The time is ripe for a discussion on the issue of immigration from Nepal. Perhaps measures such as the fencing of borders would have to be put in place. But whether India takes this up with the new dispensation in Kathmandu remains to be seen. Also, will the supporters of Gorkhaland agree to this? Ghisingh perhaps will not, considering the fact that he was supported by the palace in the former kingdom. The Maoists in Nepal may not be too happy with the proposal to fence off the border either. Gorkhaland can never be termed a birth right for the Nepalese. They might have the numbers on their side, which, in fact, have enabled their leaders to often adopt violent means while demanding a new state. The display of muscle power has also ensured that they ride roughshod over a Buddhist culture, which advocates peace, friendship and harmony.Should numbers alone be the deciding factor when it comes to determining the future of the hills ? Bringing the hills under the Sixth Schedule would be the best way to break the present deadlock. The Sixth Schedule acknowledges, to a large measure, the right to self-determination as well as the issue of protection of minorities. Opposing the Sixth Schedule, more for personal reasons than anything else, can only be an invitation to further unrest, especially since Messrs Ghisingh and Gurung have threatened to take the agitation to the Dooars.
No comments:
Post a Comment