Assam Gorkha Sammelan demands ST status to Gorkhas of Assam meet HM and TAM

8:35 PM

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schedule tribe

Writes Nanda Kirati Dewan 

A delegation of Assam Gorkha Sammelan (AGS) led by its President and Tezpur MP Shri  R.P. Sarma met union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Parliament house today and submitted a memorandum demanding ST status to 11 Gorkha Communities of Assam and inclusion of a member from Gorkha community in the high power committee formed by the Home Ministry of India for implementation of clause 6 (six) of Assam Accord .

Yesterday, the same delegation met union tribal affair minister Jual Oram at his residence and submitted a memorandum demanding ST status to the eleven Gorkha communities of Assam. They also reminded Mr. Oram about the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had quoted that “Gorkhas’ dream is my dream”. “He has already started the process of granting ST status to the thirteen Gorkha Communities of India,” they said.

Both the ministers assured the delegation that the Govt. Of India is very serious about granting ST status to the thirteen Gorkha communities of India. The delegation comprised of working president Krishna Bhujel and central office bearers Bikash Subedy, Dahal Sanjiv and Kharga Rawat.

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Gorkha Cultural Research Centre in Assam

1:38 PM

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Gorkhas of Assam

Assam Govt To Set Up Cultural Research Centre For Gorkhas - Statues of 3 Legendary Gorkhas from Assam to be Installed

GUWAHATI: Assam government will set up a cultural research centre for Gorkha the city and a plot of land will be provided where in statues of three legendary figures of Gorkha community will be installed. It was announced by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday.

Meeting a delegation, representing three Gorkha community in Assam Legislative Assembly here Sonowal said, “Gorkhas are an integral part of the larger demographic profile of Assam and together they have contributed immensely to strengthen socio-cultural fabric of the state”.

In recognition to immense role of the people belonging to Gorkha community, Government of Assam will set up Cultural Research Centre for Gorkha. Moreover, steps will be taken to install the statues of three Gorkha legendary personalities namely Chabilal Upadhaya, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan and Dalbir Singh Lohar in recognition to role in strengthening the demographic diversities of the state.

Members of three organisations representing Gorkha community namely Asom Nepali Sahitya Sabha, Gorkha Students’ Union and Asom Gorkha Sammelan held a meeting with the Chief Minister and apprised him of different problems that the people of Gorkha community are confronting with. Chief Minister Sonowal while lending a patient hearing, assured the delegation of taking tangible steps to solve the problems of Gorkha people who are approximately 25 lakh in the state.

Sonowal also met a delegation of All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation in Assam Legislative Assembly and assured the delegation of taking appropriate steps for resolving various issues raised by the delegation. He also said that the state government will extend best possible steps to the people belonging to Bengali community for their socio-economic and cultural development. With regard to the alleged encumbrances related to NRC issue, Sonowal assured the delegation to take up the matter to NRC Coordinator to remove all bottlenecks. The seven-member delegation led by its advisor Sukumar Biswas also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister. Sonowal while acknowledging the role played by the people belonging to Bengali community for the socio-cultural-economic and educational development of Assam vowed to do everything possible for the development of all sections of the people of the state belonging to Barak, Brahmaputra, hills and plains.

Source - http://bit.ly/2DLNxI2, File Pic

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Assam Gorkhas demand (ST) status and a development council

9:59 AM

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Schedule Caste

Kokrajhar, Jan. 31: The Gorkhas living in Assam today decided to intensify their demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and creation of a development council for the community.

The decision was taken during the 4th triennial conference of the Assam Gorkha Sammelan, which concluded at Santipur in Chirang district today.

Other resolutions that were adopted include the creation of a community hall in each district, solving D-voter problems and land pattas to Gorkhas living in forest areas. A new 31-member committee with Lakshmi Sedain as president, Dhamodhar Dahal as working president and Bikash Dahal as secretary was formed.

A cultural rally was taken out on the occasion. An open session was also held, attended by Tezpur MP R.P. Sarma and MLA Chandan Brahma, among others.

The 4th triennial conference of Assam Gorkha Sammelan, BTC Regional committee concluded today at Santipur in Chirang after three days colourful programme.

Assam Gorkha Sammelan rally - a file photo

On the concluding day today, a colourful cultural rally was held where cultural team from various communities like Gorkha, Bodo, Adivasi participated.

Later in the day, an Open Session was held where Tezpur MP RP Sarma, local MLA Chandan Brahma attended as guests.

A 31 member new committee with Lakshmi Sedain as president, Dhamodhar Dahal as working president and Bikash Dahal as secretary was formed.

Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community and creation of an autonomous council comprising Gorkha inhabited areas.

Talking to Reporters, RP Sarma slammed the AIUDF leader Abdur Rahim’s statement on the BJP-BPF coalition.

Sidli MLA Chandan Brahma said they are taking up legal action against Rahim for his statement. ‘If he does not apologies and withdraw  his statement, we are talking legal action against him, he said.

The Sammelan adopted some important resolutions which includes to press the demand of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community  living in Assam , creation of Gorkha development council, Gorkha community hall in every districts, solve D-voters problems involving the Gorkha people and land pattas to the community people living in forest areas.



Via Assamtimes and Telegraph

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Gorkha citizens in Assam cannot be termed as foreigners - Gauhati HC verdict

5:17 PM

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northeast gorkhas

UDALGURI– The Nepali-speaking Gorkha citizens living in Assam cannot be termed as foreigners and the label of ‘D’ be deleted from their names in the voters’ list”. This was the historic verdict of the Gauhati High Court recently. The Udalguri district committee of the Assam Gorkha Sanmelan (AGS) hailed the verdict and termed it as the historic and it thought that ‘justice was due to this ignored community in the long run.

Gauhati HC 

Talking to this correspondent, Dipak Nirola, general secretary of the Udalguri district committee expressed happiness and said that it was the victory of the community which has sacrificed blood for the nation. He further said that more than 4000 Gorkha voters of Udalguri district would feel relieved now after the verdict. “Now it is high time for the State Election Commission to start deleting the tag of ‘D’ from the names of the Nepali-speaking voters from the electoral rolls and we do hope that it will honour the verdict,” he added. He also thanked the Nepali-speaking citizens of Tinsukia and Margherita who filed petitions to this effect.

On the other hand, Jagadish Khanal, former president of the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) also hailed the High Court verdict in the case of the Gorkhas of Margherita area and hoped that the justice will soon be available to all those ‘D’ Gorkhas of the State and complimented both the senior advocates of the Gauhati High Court. Laxmi Sedai, president of BTAD Region Gorkha Sammelan also welcomed the High Court verdict and said that it would pave the way to resolve the long- pending ‘D’ voters imbroglio with the Gorkha community in the State very soon. He also congratulated both advocates RP Sarma and A Tahbildar who dealt with the case in the court.

Meanwhile, RP Sarma, senior advocate of Gauhati High Court who dealt with the case along with another senior advocate Anup Ranjan Tahabildar told this correspondent, “it was a long-pending case and the major demand of the Nepali-speaking people and organisations was solved amicably and though the verdict relieved the ‘D’ Gorkhas of Margherita area only, but soon it would be availed for all Gorkha voters of the State as soon as they apply to the concerned district authority for deleting ‘D’ from their names in the voters’ list”.

It is to be noted that 2000 Nepali-speaking voters of Margherita LAC were tagged as ‘D’ voters in the revised voters’ list prior to the 2006 Assembly elections. The case was tabled in the Dibrugarh Foreigners Tribunal instantly and after the hearing the Tribunal declared that the voters were not foreigners and also held that the Nepali-speaking voters do not fall under the purview of foreigners like the Bangladeshis. After the significant verdict of the Tribunal, a section of Nepali-speaking leaders submitted copies of petitions to the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district and the SDO(C) of Margherita with the arguments of the Tribunal to delete the tag of ‘D’ from the name of the Nepali-speaking voters but the officers concerned held that they could not do it itself. The case was then raised in the Gauhati High Court vide WPC 7957/2005 and the bench of Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma directed the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia and Margherita to update the voters’ list by deleting the tag of ‘D’ from the names of the Nepali-speaking voters of the district by March 31.


Source: assamtribune

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