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Darjeeling’s GJM, an ally of TMC, wants national body for Gorkhas
The GJM said the All India Gorkha Assembly should be a pan-India statutory development body and all elected people’s representatives from the community should be its members.
The Binoy Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which is in charge of Darjeeling’s autonomous administrative body, on Monday demanded the formation of a national statutory body, to be named All India Gorkha Assembly, for the development of Gorkhas across India.
The Tamang faction of the GJM is an ally of West Bengal’s ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC.
Addressing the media in Darjeeling, Tamang, the president of the faction, said, "We want a different setup for all Gorkhas. It will look into issues related to their identity. We have been demanding the demarcation of a geographical area (in the Darjeeling hills) but what about those who live elsewhere?”
Tamang was referring to the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland comprising parts of Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars.
“The All India Gorkha Assembly should be formed by amending the Constitution. The proposed body will not operate within any designated geophysical area. It will be a pan-India statutory development body and all elected people’s representatives from the community should be its members,” said Tamang.
"The Indo Bhutan Treaty of 1949 and Indo Nepal Friendship Treaty of 1950 should be reviewed to grant constitutional justice to Gorkhas,” he said.
Tamang also demanded the publication of the report of Eminent Persons Group (EPG). The EPG was formed in 2016 by India and Nepal to review the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty of 1950 and other agreements between the two countries.
Tamang said, “Our demand is that article 6, 7 and 8 of the 1950 treaty should be reviewed. Because of these, Indian Gorkhas are facing an existential and identity crisis. If it is not reviewed and amended we will continue to face a crisis. The EPG has met nine times but till now we do not know the outcome of those meetings. The report has neither been made public by the Indian government nor by the Nepal government.”
Tamang said that according to the 1949 Indo-Bhutan treaty, the land in Dooars and Kalimpong district is still owned by Bhutan. “We demand to know the stand of the Indian government on this. We will be writing to the Prime Minister, the chief minister and the governor,” he said
West Bengal’s tourism minister and legislator from Jalpaiguri district, Goutam Deb, refused to comment on Tamang’s demand.
