DARJEELING: This Thursday, Maya Rani Pradhan will unfurl the Tricolour atop her house in Sonada, Darjeeling. Two days later, she will light a candle to remember her son, who died in Kashmir in August 2000.
Rifleman Shakti Pradhan of the 8 Gorkha Rifles was shot by Pakistani forces while foiling an infiltration bid by terrorists on Independence Day, 2000. He died two days later. Maya Rani mourns her son, but is very proud of his sacrifice for his country. "My country, too," she tells TOI. But when she hoists the Tricolour this time, her pride and patriotism will be tinged with some sadness. Not because Shakti is no more, but because of the "raw deal" that the Gorkhas are getting.
"As a community, we are proud of the countless Gorkhas who valiantly fought for the country and laid down their lives. But it hurts when we're dubbed foreigners and asked to go back to Nepal. That single word, 'foreigner', causes more injury than a Pakistani soldier's bullet," Maya Rani, 65, tells TOI.
In Batasia village, close to the martyr's column where her brother's name finds proud mention, Rifleman Shyam Rai's sister Soni remembers the fun-loving youngster who was just 21 when he fell to terrorists' bullets in Kashmir on October 16, 2001. Shyam fought back even in his dying breaths and shot dead four militants, for which he was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal. His brother Samir is in the 6/11 Gorkha Rifles and their father Naik Man Bahadur Rai is a veteran of the 5/11 Gorkha Rifles. "We are patriotic citizens of India and thousands from our community have served and are still serving the armed forces with valour. But look at our plight here. I feel bad about the unfair treatment meted out to Gorkhas," Soni says.
As many as 27 Gorkhas from Darjeeling were martyred in Kargil in 1999. Rifleman Diwakar Tamang of 11 Gorkha Rifles was one of them. "He was part of a commando team sent to recapture a strategic post. He killed two Pakistani soldiers but fell to a hand grenade. We were shattered. What saddens us more is that Gorkha contribution to the country is lost on some of our countrymen. Why else would the Bengal government treat us this way?" asks Diwakar's father, Prem, a veteran of the 1962 India-China war.
Since 1947, more than 250 Gorkhas from Darjeeling have laid down their lives for the country. "But this is seldom recognized by our brothers in the plains of Bengal," said Colonel (retired) Puran Subbha. Colonel (retired) K Tshering, who heads the local Ex-Servicemen's Welfare Association, told TOI: "Countless Gorkhas have sacrificed their lives for the country. More than 1.5 lakh Gorkhas are serving in the Indian Army alone and tens of thousands in the paramilitary and other forces with courage and integrity. But look at how we're treated in Bengal. There can be no greater insult to a Gorkha than to be called a 'foreigner'. India is our country and we're proud Indians. Is it a crime to ask for a separate state within our own country?"
Colonel (retired) Ramesh Allay, a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader, tells TOI: "Gorkhas are treated with respect everywhere except in Bengal. For a community that has made so many supreme sacrifices for the nation, it hurts a lot to be treated as second-class citizens and as 'foreigners'. Those who call us foreigners should come to the Hills on Thursday and see how we celebrate Independence Day."
Source : timesofindia
Rifleman Shakti Pradhan of the 8 Gorkha Rifles was shot by Pakistani forces while foiling an infiltration bid by terrorists on Independence Day, 2000. He died two days later. Maya Rani mourns her son, but is very proud of his sacrifice for his country. "My country, too," she tells TOI. But when she hoists the Tricolour this time, her pride and patriotism will be tinged with some sadness. Not because Shakti is no more, but because of the "raw deal" that the Gorkhas are getting.
"As a community, we are proud of the countless Gorkhas who valiantly fought for the country and laid down their lives. But it hurts when we're dubbed foreigners and asked to go back to Nepal. That single word, 'foreigner', causes more injury than a Pakistani soldier's bullet," Maya Rani, 65, tells TOI.
In Batasia village, close to the martyr's column where her brother's name finds proud mention, Rifleman Shyam Rai's sister Soni remembers the fun-loving youngster who was just 21 when he fell to terrorists' bullets in Kashmir on October 16, 2001. Shyam fought back even in his dying breaths and shot dead four militants, for which he was posthumously awarded the Sena Medal. His brother Samir is in the 6/11 Gorkha Rifles and their father Naik Man Bahadur Rai is a veteran of the 5/11 Gorkha Rifles. "We are patriotic citizens of India and thousands from our community have served and are still serving the armed forces with valour. But look at our plight here. I feel bad about the unfair treatment meted out to Gorkhas," Soni says.
As many as 27 Gorkhas from Darjeeling were martyred in Kargil in 1999. Rifleman Diwakar Tamang of 11 Gorkha Rifles was one of them. "He was part of a commando team sent to recapture a strategic post. He killed two Pakistani soldiers but fell to a hand grenade. We were shattered. What saddens us more is that Gorkha contribution to the country is lost on some of our countrymen. Why else would the Bengal government treat us this way?" asks Diwakar's father, Prem, a veteran of the 1962 India-China war.
Since 1947, more than 250 Gorkhas from Darjeeling have laid down their lives for the country. "But this is seldom recognized by our brothers in the plains of Bengal," said Colonel (retired) Puran Subbha. Colonel (retired) K Tshering, who heads the local Ex-Servicemen's Welfare Association, told TOI: "Countless Gorkhas have sacrificed their lives for the country. More than 1.5 lakh Gorkhas are serving in the Indian Army alone and tens of thousands in the paramilitary and other forces with courage and integrity. But look at how we're treated in Bengal. There can be no greater insult to a Gorkha than to be called a 'foreigner'. India is our country and we're proud Indians. Is it a crime to ask for a separate state within our own country?"
Colonel (retired) Ramesh Allay, a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader, tells TOI: "Gorkhas are treated with respect everywhere except in Bengal. For a community that has made so many supreme sacrifices for the nation, it hurts a lot to be treated as second-class citizens and as 'foreigners'. Those who call us foreigners should come to the Hills on Thursday and see how we celebrate Independence Day."
Source : timesofindia
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