Bengal politicians are being unduly touchy by calling demand for Gorkhaland 'Banglar bivag' (Division of Bengal). Bengal presidency created by the british by merging all areas annexed by them in the eastern part of the subcontinent was an administrative unit. Its reorganization started in 1911 with separation of Bihar, Orissa and Assam way back in 1911.
Present Darjeeling district was made part of Bengal presidency between 1835-1865. But all along (right till Government of India act 1935) it enjoyed special status as 'partially excluded areas' under section 92 of the 1935 act whereby no law passed by the federal legislature or the provincial assembly had automatic application here. In the 1935 act 28 partially excluded and 8 excluded areas were mentioned. After independence almost all these areas have become states or UTs. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram were all such areas.
More recently created Chhtisgarh and Jharkhand were also in this category. Darjeeling is the only area suffering denial till now. Justifying the special treatment for excluded or partially excluded areas in the 1935 act in the British parliament secretary of state for India the Marquees of Zetland had said that without such protection to these hill and tribal people 'situation will be akin to keeping an innocent lamb in the same cage with a rapacious wolf'.
Writer: Ennen Ojha
PROPOSED MAP OF GORKHALAND |
Present Darjeeling district was made part of Bengal presidency between 1835-1865. But all along (right till Government of India act 1935) it enjoyed special status as 'partially excluded areas' under section 92 of the 1935 act whereby no law passed by the federal legislature or the provincial assembly had automatic application here. In the 1935 act 28 partially excluded and 8 excluded areas were mentioned. After independence almost all these areas have become states or UTs. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram were all such areas.
More recently created Chhtisgarh and Jharkhand were also in this category. Darjeeling is the only area suffering denial till now. Justifying the special treatment for excluded or partially excluded areas in the 1935 act in the British parliament secretary of state for India the Marquees of Zetland had said that without such protection to these hill and tribal people 'situation will be akin to keeping an innocent lamb in the same cage with a rapacious wolf'.
Writer: Ennen Ojha
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