Gorkhas of Assam and Their Movement for Constitutional Status

Surya Newar
Asst Prof. Dept of Pol Science, Kapili College, Kheroni, K/A, Assam, India. Pin. 782448

Abstract: The movement for distinct Nepali identity in India first originated in Darjeeling under the banner of the All India Gorkha League (1943) under the stewardship Dambar Sing Gurung. Shortly after its foundation the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) started organizing the Nepalese People living scatteredly all over the country. The then province of Assam was also not left unbind by the wave of inculcating some of the distinctive identity among the Nepalese. It resulted in the formation of the Assam Provincial Gurkha League in 1944 at Shillong the then capital of Assam.

ALL-ASSAM-GORKHA-STUDENTS-UNION-Lakhimpur-Dist.-Unit-MASS-PROTEST-RALLY-against-D-voters-issue-of-the-Gorkhas-of-Assam

The Assam Provincial Gorkha League (AIGL) – a provincial banner of the parent outfit appeared to be following the cluster of demands chalked in later. The demand for official recognition to Nepalese as a minority community was important in this context. In the similar manner, the APGL went on raising a plethora of demands and grievances which are more or less identical and as such many a time both the AIGL and APGL concertedly participated in a movement like constitutional recognition of Nepali language. But surprisingly the AIGL leadership in 1955 officially declared the conversion of AIGL as a full-fledged political party. Being disgraced with such conversion the APGL leadership decided to disassociate from the AIGL and got their own name and style as Assam Gorkha Sammelan. Since then Assam Gorkha Sammelan has been working independently confining its activities within the state of Assam. Of course, in the event of raising a common issue the AGS as prepared to join hands with All India level Nepali organization. For instance, the demand for the inclusion of Nepali language to the eighth schedule of the constitution of India. In this language movement the Nepalese participated with full strength and sweat along with the All India Nepali Bhasa Samiti (1972) which ended in 1992 when Nepali language was incorporated into the constitution.

The Nepalese settled permanently in Assam ever since the British occupation has become a part and parcel of the greater Assam and Assamese society. With the growth of their numerical strength, and democratization of political system and universalisation of education, there emerged an educated elite among the Nepalese who realized their backwardness and underdeveloped. As a measure to solve their multifold and multifaceted demand, like other ethnic group the Nepalese also formed their organizations. Among these the Assam Gorkha Sammelan and All Assam Gorkha Students’ emerged as a leading organizations to champion the cause of maintaining distinct identity as a means of accelerating the pace of development.

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Source: iosrjournals.org

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