Tamangs development and cultural board announced by CM

Lepcha-like board for Tamangs :

Mirik, Jan. 21: Mamata Banerjee today announced a development and cultural board for Tamangs, one of the largest communities among Gorkhas in Darjeeling, while other groups submitted requests for similar bodies to the chief minister.

CM Mamta Banerjee on her arrival in Mirik on Tuesday.

“We have decided to set up a development and cultural board for the Tamang community, where they can take care of their needs. The way the Lepcha development council is working I am very happy,” Mamata told the public meeting beside the Mirik Lake that was attended by over 6,000 people, many of them Tamangs in their traditional attire.

Mamata also spoke about bringing development to the hills through education, which had been her focus during earlier visits.

The Sherpa community today requested Mamata for a similar body for the community. The All Sherpa Buddhist Council’s co-ordinator, Nima Wangdai Sherpa, met Mamata at Mirik and submitted a memorandum mentioning the demand. “We have submitted our memorandum to the chief minister, demanding a development board similar to the one she has formed for the Lepchas… We hope she will listen to us,” Sherpa said.

The community has around 1.45 lakh members spread across the hills and parts of the Dooars and Terai.

Tamang community members present at the convention in Mirik
 during CM's visit on Tuesday.

Mamata said the nitty-gritty like the name of the Tamang board and other formalities would be taken care of after she returns to Calcutta. The first such board under the state government was formed for the Lepchas.

The chief minister hinted that a similar body would be created for the Rais, another Gorkha community. She said there was “some thought being put into” the demand made by the Rais. Other than the Rais, the Limbus and Bhutias have also asked for a similar apolitical cultural board.

Members of all these communities were invited to attend the event organised by the Tamang Youth Association where they presented their memorandum of demands to the chief minister today.

Mamata today said the state would write to the Centre for Scheduled Tribe status to the indigenous tribes in the hills that make up for nearly 33.72 per cent of the population.

“There are indigenous tribal communities in the hills and we have decided to request the Centre to grant these communities Scheduled Tribe status. This is not under our purview but the Centre’s. Considering the gravity of the situation and the future of the brothers and sisters… we will do what we can,” she said.

Playing the development card, the chief minister announced plans to set up medical and engineering colleges in the hills.


“I want you all to live peacefully and move forward. I want you to join medical colleges, engineering colleges. I want industry and IT fairs to be held in the hills. We are together and we will fight together to move ahead,” Mamata said.

Source:Telegraph

CM attends Tamang National Convention

On the second day of the Tamang National Convention today, Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee assured the Tamang Development and Cultural Board will soon be formed, making the Tamang community wait a little longer for the much awaited set-up.  Notably, the Tamang Youth Association had been spearheading the movement for formation of an administrative body like Lepcha Development Board for the Tamangs and the convention had been organized for the formal declaration of the same. The association had persuaded the Chief Minister to attend its mass function on her last visit to Darjeeling in October. Citing the matter to be an administrative one, she did not give a complete commitment on the formation on the board, but assured it will soon be formed and made functional.

Mamata Banerjee plays a small drum as she
watches Tamang women dance:
 Pictures by Pradip Sanyal

Bannerjee also assured the government will look into the demands for similar community based development boards being raised by various other communities. It can be mentioned here Bhutias, Sherpas, Limboos, Khas and the Scheduled Caste communities are actively demanding for their respective development boards in the hills after a similar set-up was formed for the Lepcha community. Addressing the concerns about tribal status to Khambu-Rai community, the Chief Minister stated since the demand for ST status is connected with the centre she will request the centre to “consider” the demand. She added, “We want the people of the Darjeeling hills to live in peace, so that we can also focus on the development works.”

Bannerjee also announced the government will erect a “Pahari Bhawan” in Siliguri so that the hills folks can be benefited. She informed the building will be constructed by SJDA. “I want a new Darjeeling to be established” she observed. Mentioning that various places in the hills including Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, Lamahatta, Kalimpong and others have immense potential for tourism the Chief Minister asserted the state government will take up initiatives to develop the tourism sector further. She further said the government will create employment opportunities here to eradicate the problem of unemployment. 

She said several places in the hills are troubled by scarcity of drinking water and the government will take strong measures to fight the problem. Bannerjee also sought to please the locals by promising “soon a polytechnic college will be established in the area”.

Stressing that the hills folk must come ahead in every field Bannerjee said, “If the people of Darjeeling hills become proficient in every field they will be able to lead the world.” However, the locals of Mirik apparently seemed displeased as not much was announced by the CM for the region. The CM remained focused on developmental issues but Mirik remained at the sidelines of the purview of her speech.


Following the meeting Banerjee is slated to visit Darjeeling, where she will attend various function on January 22 and 23 before returning back to Kolkata. she is scheduled to visit Sister Nivedita House and will inaugurate several training institutions under the Vedanta Missionary. She is also expected to attend a programme in Lebong where she will felicitate players from the winning team of the recently held football tournament. She will then visit Netaji House at Giddha Pahar in Kurseong on January 23 on the occasion of Netaji’s birthday.

GTA happy over assurance

Responding to the reports of assured formation of Tamang Development and Cultural Board, GTA deputy chief Ramesh Alley expressed contentment. He said, “We are happy to learn that the government will grant a separate development board for the Tamang community.” Alley stated the GJM is in favour of community based development boards and has been advocating for the same.

 “We had spoken on several occasions that like the Lepchas, all the communities residing in the Darjeeling Hills should be given such boards. We have even passed a resolution on this matter” Alley noted.

The GTA Deputy Chief congratulated the Tamang community and also thanked the Chief Minister for considering the community’s demand. He stated the board will be beneficial to the Tamangs and it will contribute to the overall development of the community. Notably, addressing a function held by Tamang Youth Association in Mirik today Mamata Bannerjee assured the formation of Tamang Development and Cultural Board.

Source:EOI

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