PRASHANT ACHARYA, SILIGURI, 3 Feb 2015: Evereyone knows that Subash Ghisingh, who can be unarguably credited for kindling the dream of a Gorkhaland state in the hearts of the people of Darjeeling, has died before realising his political goal.
It is little known, however, that his desire to write a book on the sacrifices made by the Gorkhas during the Second World War has also remained unfulfilled. He had done his homework well and had even visited Myanmar and Thailand to gather facts as these places were where the maximum number of Gorkha soldiers died during the war.
GNLF central committee member and Ghisingh’s close aide Prakash Dahal said on Tuesdsay: “Ghisinghji was planning to write a book on the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their life in World War II. We visited Myanmar seven times and Thailand once to gather detailed information including photographs for the planned book.”
Dahal said Ghisingh took pictures of the graves of Gorkha soldiers and noted down their ranks, names, addresses and areas of activity. Ghisingh’s last visit to Myanmar was in 2012. In Thailand, he toured the famous Death Bridge in Kanchanburi to gather detailed information of the Gorkha soldiers who had died there. Made famous as ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ internationally, thanks to motion pictures, during WW II thousands of allied prisoners of war had been engaged by the Japanese army to construct the bridge. Many of them had perished because of brutal treatment by their captors.
World War II had no fewer than 40 Gorkha Battalions in British service, and they included parachute, garrison and training units to take the total to 112,000 men. Together with British and Commonwealth troops, the Gorkhas have fought in Syria, the Western Desert, Italy and Greece, North Malaya to Singapore, and from the Siamese border through Myanmar to Imphal and again to Rangoon.
While still a young boy, Ghisingh’s mother had told him how his maternal uncle was killed in the Burma war. Since then he had nursed a keen desire to visit Myanmar to gather more information on the brave Gorkha soldiers who died fighting for India.
Source: EOI
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| Subasyh Ghishing's last rite - Pic by Chendup Lepcha |
GNLF central committee member and Ghisingh’s close aide Prakash Dahal said on Tuesdsay: “Ghisinghji was planning to write a book on the Gorkha soldiers who sacrificed their life in World War II. We visited Myanmar seven times and Thailand once to gather detailed information including photographs for the planned book.”
Dahal said Ghisingh took pictures of the graves of Gorkha soldiers and noted down their ranks, names, addresses and areas of activity. Ghisingh’s last visit to Myanmar was in 2012. In Thailand, he toured the famous Death Bridge in Kanchanburi to gather detailed information of the Gorkha soldiers who had died there. Made famous as ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ internationally, thanks to motion pictures, during WW II thousands of allied prisoners of war had been engaged by the Japanese army to construct the bridge. Many of them had perished because of brutal treatment by their captors.
World War II had no fewer than 40 Gorkha Battalions in British service, and they included parachute, garrison and training units to take the total to 112,000 men. Together with British and Commonwealth troops, the Gorkhas have fought in Syria, the Western Desert, Italy and Greece, North Malaya to Singapore, and from the Siamese border through Myanmar to Imphal and again to Rangoon.
While still a young boy, Ghisingh’s mother had told him how his maternal uncle was killed in the Burma war. Since then he had nursed a keen desire to visit Myanmar to gather more information on the brave Gorkha soldiers who died fighting for India.
Source: EOI
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