DARJEELING –GORKHALAND STATE: GORKHA MEANS GORKHA SOLDIER BUT THE QUERY- WHO IS A GORKHA? REPLY IS: ONLY SKY KNOWS!!
DIPAK DE
QUERY- WHO IS A GORKHA? REPLY IS: ONLY SKY KNOWS!!
- By DIPAK DE [HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, M.PHIL IN HUMAN RIGHTS]
Ethnic group and/or race cannot be created
artificially. Ethnic group or race should not be unreal.
An Ethnic Group and / or Race AND
Linguistic minority is/are matter of international subject and the
subject of human rights at present world. General Assembly of United
Nations adopted the ‘Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to
National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities’ in its
resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992. Inspired by the provisions of
Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
concerning the rights of persons belonging to ethnic, religious or
linguistic minorities adopted this declaration. The claim of ethnic
group/race should not be unreal.
Article 27 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights [ICCPR] (Government of India ratified
this Covenant) reads: “In those States in which ethnic, religious or
linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities
shall not denied the right, in community with the other members of
their group, to enjoy their own culture, profess and practice their
own religion, or to use their own language.” Government of India
ratified the ICCPR.
“Damber Singh Gurung, B.L. (L.L.B.),
M.L.A. (Bengal) raised the voice on behalf of the Gorkhas living in
India. Resolving in view of the fact that the condition of the Gorkhas
spread throughout India was very deplorable and the political status
of the Gorkhas was uncertain and the future of the Gorkhas was at
stake, a political party of the Gorkha [Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha],
THE ALL INDIA GORKHA LEAGUE was born on 15th May, 1943.” – from
Website of All India Gorkha League.
Here GORKHA means Nepali, Lepcha and Bhutia.
Nepalese are immigrants in Darjeeling hills. They migrated from Nepal.
They spread all over India, mainly in West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Uttarkhand, Uttarpradesh states.
On the other hand, Lepchas are the original
inhabitants of Darjeeling hills. They are living only Darjeeling hills
and Sikkim state in India so far. Bhutias are also residing in
Darjeeling hills and Sikkim state so far. Lepchas never claimed that
they are Gorkha. Bhutias also never claimed that they are Gorkha.
BUT THE SAID Shri Damber Singh Gurung said in
Constituent Assembly Debates on Thursday, the 19th December 1946 –
“…..It is on behalf of these valiant Gurkhas that I, as the President
of the All India Gurkha League………..Sir, it has been very often said
that the Gurkhas have been the stumbling block on the path to
freedom…….Though we were made to do the dirtiest work in India for
which we have been even called butchers by Indians…….” – from
Constituent Assembly Debates (Proceedings) – Volume I.
Here, Shri Damber Singh Gurung used the
word ‘GURKHA’ instead of ‘GORKHA’ AND he said ‘Gurkhas* have been the
stumbling block on the path to freedom’ – [*Gurkhas means Gurkha
soldiers i.e. Gurkha soldiers have been stumbling block on the path to
freedom. NOW MEANING IS CLEAR i.e. All India Gorkha League is for the
Gurkha soldiers who are Nepalese and they are Nepali Nationals and
they are the stumbling block on the path to freedom of India and these
Nepalese had done dirtiest work in India, so the Indians hate them and
called them butchers. It is a question - WHY SHRI DAMBER SINGH GURUNG
USED THE WORD ‘GURKHA’ IN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY instead of Gorkha? It
is the fact that the word ‘Gorkha’ against ‘Gurkha soldier’ was
unknown to Indian citizens including British. It is to be noted that
all Nepalese were not Gurkha soldiers, few of the Nepalese were
Gurkhas, mainly soldiers recruited from Gurung, Magar, Rai, Tamang etc
ethnic groups of Nepal. Perhaps at that time, the word or term
‘Gorkha’ was used within a few Nepalese i.e. inside inner circle of
few Nepalese.
The name ‘GURKHA’ soldiers was given by
British to the Nepalese army. In the year 1815 during Nepal’s war
(1814-1815) with British East Company, the Company started to recruit
Nepalese as soldier called ‘GURKHA’ soldiers and named the Regiment
‘GURKHA regiment’.
After the Independence of India in 1947,
Government of India changed the name of ‘Gurkha regiment’ to ‘GORKHA
regiment’. Gurkha regiments were divided between India and United
Kingdom. Six Regiments became part of India, and remaining four
Regiments became part of United Kingdom. Actually Indian army changed
the name ‘Gurkha’ to ‘Gorkha’ in February 1949. NATUALLY it was
unknown to the Citizens of India and the Colonial British in the year
1946, what is the meaning of the word or term ‘GORKHA’.
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE WORD OR TERM, as may
be called, ‘GURKHA’ MEANS GURKHA SOLDIER and ‘GORKHA’ MEANS GORKHA
SOLDIER.
Lepchas and Bhutias were not recruited as
soldier in GURKHA regiment or GORKHA regiment and they never
introduced themselves as ‘Gorkha’, so HOW they were within the bracket
of GORKHA?
AFTER RETIREMENT OR SEPARATION FROM SERVICE
OR RECUITMENT AS SOLDIER FROM ‘GURKHA REGIMENT’ OR ‘GORKHA REGIMENT’ a
Nepali becomes a general citizen and he cannot identify him and that I
am a Gurkha or Gorkha OR called him that he is a Gurkha or Gorkha but
he is an ex-Gurkha soldier or ex-Gorkha soldier. This is applicable
also in other services or recruitment, it is the experience in our
daily life.
“…..The Lepcha associations are opposed to the
idea of Gorkhaland where they would be put under the hegemony of the
chauvinist aggressive GNLF. In a letter to the Chief Minister on 10th
September [1986] they have opposed the formation of Gorkhaland,
reiterating that they are the original inhabitants of the Darjeeling
hills” – from GORKHA AGITATION, Facts and Issues, Information Document
II, January, 1987.
GNLF means Gorkha National
Liberation Front which formed on 30th July,1980 under leadership of
Shri Subash Ghisingh and started bloody struggle for the creation of a
separate GORKHALAND state by diving West Bengal state in India. At
first GNLF tried to create an Independent country and sent a
Memorandum (may be called letter) dated 23/12/1983 to His Majesty the
King Birendra Bir Bikram Shadev, Narayan Hiti Palace, Kathmandu,
Nepal.
“….In another pamphlet the protagonists
of Gorkhaland have gone to the ludicrous extent of describing Lepchas,
Oraos, Santals, Mechs, Bhojpuris, Modesias and Scheduled Caste
Bengalis (mostly Rajbansis) that is practically every one living
Darjeeling and Jalpaipuri excepting upper caste Bengalis as
Gorkhas…..” - from GORKHA AGITATION, Facts and Issues, Information
Document II, January, 1987.
It is clear that GNLF who demanded
Gorkhaland state does not know at that time who were GORKHA? But GNLF
demanded ‘Gorkhaland state’ for Gorkhas!!
Now Gokha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is
agitating for the creation of Gorkhaland state by diving West Bengal
state in India. Under leadership of Shri Bimal Gurung the GJM formed
on 7th October, 2007 after breaking away from GNLF (Gorkha National
Liberation Front). “….The Gorkhas are a distinct race compared to the
majority population of the state of West Bengal….” from website of
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
How the Gorkhas i.e. Gorkha
soldiers became a distinct race? Who authorized or sanctioned and
when, that soldiers of the Gorkha Regiment transformed automatically
into a race and the name of the race would be Gorkha race? In
Darjeeling, there are Nepali workers, businessmen, tea garden worker,
artisan, contractor, promoters, car drivers, ex-soldiers, soldiers in
Indian army including Gorkha regiment, servicemen including police
service etc are living. How these Nepalese are all belong to Gorkha
race?
It appears that the words or term
‘GORKHA RACE’ coined by some Nepalese WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVE after the
year 1987!!! Again, it is to be noted that at present, ETHNIC GROUP
and/ or RACE is/are matter of International Affair. No Gazette
Notification or Administrative order can create an Ethnic Group or a
Race. One can disobey the Human Rights philosophy and jurisprudence
but to say that Government of India, Government of West Bengal and
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) may submit all documents and papers in
support of Gorkha race and/ or Gorkha Ethnic Group at Appropriate
International Forum for recognition and authorization.
According to Human Rights philosophy and
jurisprudence Nationals of Nepal who were/are in Gurkha regiment
were/ are mercenaries. They are to be treated as criminal. Mercenarism
is an universal crime against humanity and is a threat to
international peace and security.
According to Human Rights philosophy and
jurisprudence National of Nepal who were/ are in Gorkha regiment were/
are mercenaries. They will not get the status of Prisoner-of-war.
Nationality is the criteria.
Distrust is rapidly growing against a section
of Nepalese in West Bengal. Already there is suspicion, disbelief
prevailing among the aged persons. During the freedom struggle there
was a slogan “…The general slogan prevailing against the Gurkhas* at
that time was ‘Hindustan for Hindus, Pakistan for Muslims and
Kabaristan (Graveyard) for the Gurkhas….” [* Gurkhas means Gurkha
soldiers] – read Indo-Nepal Migration: Problems and Prospects by Vidya
Bir Singh Kansakar, Tribhuvan University, April, 1984. Again to
mention: Shri Damber Singh Gurung said in Constituent Assembly Debates
on Thursday, the 19th December 1946 – “…….Though we were made to do
the dirtiest work in India for which we have been even called butchers
by Indians…….”
Date: 03/01/2010.
Dipak De
[Human Rights Activist;
M.Phil in Human Rights; Member of Amnesty International; United
Nations on line volunteer on Human Rights; in touch with: Asian Human
Rights Commission, Hongkong]