Who are Indian Gorkhas?

Indian Gorkhas (Nepali: भारतीय गोर्खा) are Nepali speaking community mostly living all along the Himalayan belt and the North-East states of India. Gorkha is an umbrella term for numerous groups and tribes such as Chettri, Bahuns, Newars, Gurungs, Mangars, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Sunuwar, Thamis and others.The term ‘Gorkha’ in the Indian context is used to differentiate the INDIAN CITIZENS of Nepali ethnicity from the citizens of Nepal who prefer to be called ‘Nepalese.’ It is estimated that there are about 1,50,000,00 Gorkhas in India or Bharatiya Gorkhas.

Ethnically Indian Gorkhas are one (living in India or Nepal or any Diaspora) and our language is Nepali(8th Schedule& Nepal's Official Lingua Franca).But due to foreigner,nationality issue we Indians Nepali Speaking Population name ourselves as Indian Gorkha Tribe though we share same ethnicity. The Contradictory term is Nepalí; where Nepali refers to Citizen of Nepal and also people of Nepali Origin(general term who speak Nepali Language ).Main problem is our single term for Citizen ,Language and Ethnicity.Language doesn't matter much but term for Ethnicity and Citizens contradicts and many tries to distort knowingly or out of ignorance.


About Indian Gorkhas
Contrary to perceptions that the Gorkhas are citizens of Nepal residing in India, Indian Gorkhas have lived for generations in India, the areas which they inhabited having been ceded to the British by regimes in parts of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim during the pre-independence days. 

The Gorkha community, which came with the land and culture, accepted India as their motherland and added to the country's rich diversity. Gorkhas played citizens' role in the Independence movement, with many of them being martyred during the years India fought to free itself from the colonial yoke.

Indian Gorkhas are citizens of India as per the Gazette notification of the Government of India on the issue of citizenship of the Gorkhas of India.However, the Indian Gorkhas are faced with a unique identity crisis with regard to their Indian citizenship because of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) that permits "on a reciprocal basis, the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature".Thus, there are also many Nepalese citizens of Nepal living in India. The Indian Gorkhas are mistakenly identified as citizens of Nepal, which has led to several movements of the Indian Gorkhas, including the Gorkhaland movement, for a clear recognition of their Indian citizenship.


One of the many Gorkha heroes of the period is Shaheed Durga Malla, whose statue stands on the lawns of the Parliament House. Thousands fought in the ranks of the Azad Hind Fauz, while two Gorkha nationalists were participants in the Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi. An Indian Gorkha was a member of the Constituent Assembly. Post- Independence, many Gorkha soldiers have given their lives for the country in the wars that India has fought against foreign aggressors and in countering terrorism in different parts of the country.

The mother tongue of the Indian Gorkhas is Nepali, a language that is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution as a national language.


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