Darjeeling: Lt General (retd) Shakti Gurung, who is heading the National Gorkhaland Committee (NGC), an apolitical think tank looking into issues of the Gorkha community, said on Sunday that they were in favour of some "control" and "regulation" on the Indo-Nepal border.
Gurung's comment comes at a time an Eminent Persons Group (EPG) appointed by the governments of Nepal and India are reviewing the India-Nepal Friendship Treaty 1950 that has provisions for free movement of India and Nepal citizens into each others territory.
Shakti Gurung (NGC)
Asked about the NGC's stand on the open border, Gurung, said: "There is a general feeling among Indian Gorkhas that we get questioned because the borders are open. There are some reasons why the country (India) has kept the border open, we share similar culture, traditions, Nepal is a friendly neighbour, but we believe that the treaty should be reviewed in light of the identity (of Indian Gorkhas)."
The EPG was formed in 2016 and its mandate runs till June this year. EPG members from Nepal include former foreign minister, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai and constitutional and legal experts Nilambar Acharya and Surya Nath Upadhyay.
The demand for the scrapping of Article VII of the treaty was first raised by GNLF leader Subash Ghisingh when he led the statehood agitation in 1986. The GNLF had wanted the clause to be scrapped as it felt the rights given to the citizens of Nepal - a country contiguous to Darjeeling - under this treaty were blurring the distinction between Nepalese citizen and Indian Gorkhas who speak the same language.
Gurung said on Sunday: "There should be some kind of control, regulation (at the border). This is a general feeling, talk to any Gorkha community member in India, whether from here or Uttarkhand, they all feel that an open border raises questions on their (Indian) identity."
The NGC clarified that none of its members would be encouraged to contest elections.
"We will also form regional committees but we will only take those people who are not attached with political parties," said Gurung.
Gorkha Theater Legend CK Shrestha Rejects Felicitation - After Organizers Refer to Him As Being From NEPAL
The Identity crisis felt by the Indian Gorkhas has bogged down generations of our people, and not just the ordinary people like you and I, even our celebrated artists, scholars, politicians and every prominent personality has to face this often repeated question - are you from NEPAL?
It is one thing to question, quiet another to say so on an invitation card for a program to be held at Siliguri by a West Bengal-based organization, in which the Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb was to inaugurate the program.
A Calcutta based organization Sarbabharatiya Sangeet-o-Sanskriti Parishad was set to felicitate renowned Gorkhali theater personality Mr. CK Shrestha at Dinabandhu Mancha in Siliguri today. The Chief Guest of the program is J. C. Roy, Director of Cultural and Information Directorate, Bengal government.
Yet,the Invitation card states that Mr. CK Shrestha is from NEPAL.
Protesting against the humiliation, not just against himself, but also against the Gorkhali community, Mr. CK Shrestha has refused their invitation, and has declined to attend the program today.
CK Shrestha Rejects Felicitation - After Organizers Refer to Him As Being From NEPAL
In a stern letter written to the organizers, Mr. CK Shrestha has said, 'my eagerness to attend your function was cut short when I received the invitation card today, which labels me as a citizen of Nepal. To be branded a foreigner in your own country is the gravest insult that can be given to a person, and the last thing I expected from an organization of your stature. This is simply unacceptable and I take serious offence in this act of humiliation that I have been subjected to. I am an Indian Gorkha, and being a citizen of this country is something that I am very proud of.'
Mr. Shrestha further writes, 'If a well known person like me is humiliated in this manner, I shudder to think about the fate of the countless other lesser known Gorkhas who are a part of this country.'
Take strong exception to the humiliation, Mr. Shrestha adds, 'I strongly condemn this mindless and deliberate branding of members of Indian Gorkha community as Nepali citizens, and in protest, I hereby decline the felicitation extended to me by your organization.
Jai Gorkha! Jai Hind!"
This is percisely why we need GORKHALAND statehood... as long as we remain a part of Bengal... we will continue to be humiliated.
Melting pot: How Gorkha community in the city plans to re-establish their identity
Writes Sadaf Modak
The Gorkha population, residing in various northern and north-eastern states, has also settled in Mumbai for over five decades.
FOR THE Gorkha community in Mumbai, a recent portrayal of its members as watchmen in an e-commerce website advertisement was a reminder of how often their identity is reduced to a ‘caricature’.
“Due to our physical appearance, Gorkhas are easily identified and misconceived to be from the neighbouring country of Nepal. There is a misconception that all are Nepali citizens who have migrated to India. Many are Indians but are made to feel like foreigners due to lack of knowledge,” said Dhruva Pradhan, chairman of the Bhartiya Gorkha Ekta Sangh in Mumbai.
He says not many are aware that a Treaty of Sugauli was signed between the East India Company and the King of Nepal in 1815-16, which had led to one-third of Nepalese-controlled territory to be given to the British, and which continues to remain part of Indian territory.
Hamro Parichai - A Gorkha Cultural Show
The Gorkha population, residing in various northern and north-eastern states, has also settled in Mumbai for over five decades. The Ekta Sangh was formed as a socio-cultural welfare organisation in 2002 with an approximate number of over a lakh Gorkhas who currently live in Mumbai.
Rohit Pradhan, the secretary of the Ekta Sangh, says that on the streets of the city, Gorkhas are often asked if they are from Nepal. “This could be due to ignorance or lack of geographical knowledge. But, when it is done by established entities in popular culture like the recent advertisement, it seems like a deliberate attempt,” he said. The members are now in the process of preparing a blueprint to be distributed to television, film and advertisement production houses, political parties and government organisations elaborating on the history of the community in India and its contribution to various fields including the economy, sports and the defence of the country.
The members also organise annual cultural programmes and celebration of Dashain (Dussehra) and Tihar (Diwali) in the city to ensure that the younger generation does not lose touch with their culture.
Another issue that the community faces is the lack of a shelter for members coming from other states to the city for medical care.
“When I first came to the city in 1989, I did not know anyone from the community. Many Gorkhas from Darjeeling would come to the city to Tata Memorial Hospital for cancer treatment. They would have nowhere to stay. Some states have their own bhavans like Assam Bhavan, Meghalaya Bhavan, where first timers coming to the city for medical care, education, employment can stay. No such facility exists for Gorkhas,” Dhruva said.
He said that for a year now the community has set up a centre in Kurla for cancer patients coming to the city for treatment but they have not kept it limited to Gorkhas alone.
The members plan to approach state government authorities for a Gorkha Bhavan or an allotment of land for its construction.
6th July 2016 The Songtsen Brikuti School in Boudhanath in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu where the Tibetan community was scheduled to celebrate the 81st birthday of the Dalai Lama was swarmed by Nepalese police early this morning, disrupting the celebrations and even detaining close to 30 Tibetans including the Tibetan Settlement Officer. The celebratory event was forced to be canceled.
The developments came as a surprise move by the police, considering the fact that proper permission had earlier been granted by concerned Nepalese authorities for the celebratory function, according to a source who wish to remain anonymous. The source further adds that, “the Police threatened the Tibetan people to leave the venue immediately or else face detention.” Currently, the detained Tibetans are being held at the Brikuti Mandap police station in Boudha area.
Nepal Disallows Celebration of HH Dalai Lama's Birthday
The Nepalese police blocked the main gate to the school and were seen nudging and shoving Tibetans instructing them to abandon the event. Pema, a Tibetan youth living in Boudha, who was at the venue spoke with Phayul about the situation and described the incident as “hellish”. “Anyone who is wearing Tibetan dress or wearing monastic robes is detained in the vicinity. We were merely celebrating the birthday of our beloved leader, it is not political. Besides, the same police were smiling and accepting our help and donations during the earth quake last year when Tibetans and Nepalese people were working together for relief efforts in the aftermath. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion has turned into a sad one,” Pema lamented.
The birthday celebration is an important date in the calendar for the Tibetans and more so for the Tibetan refugees who are increasingly targeted by the police under pressure from China.
Nepal which is home to more than 20,000 Tibetans who either came across the border or were born to settlers, are finding it hard to sustain a free and normal existence. The Nepalese government’s treatment of the Tibetan refugees has taken a turn for the worse in the last few years with China pumping in cheap interest loans and relaxed FDR (Foreign Direct Investment) schemes in exchange for its will to be imposed. China’s FDR in Nepal has shot to $128 million in 2015 up from $24 million in 2014 besides perks such as a fleet of Mercedes SUVs.
The Nepalese government has publicly spoken on the issue when Nepal's foreign minister, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, earlier during a visit to Beijing in March, said that they, “will never allow any forces to use Nepali territory to engage in anti-China activity."
With China gaining the upper hand in controlling the moors in the tiny Himalayan nation replacing India with the promise of riches, the Tibetans who set foot on Nepalese soil decades ago are once again subjected to thinly veiled wrath of China.
Master Mitrasen Thapa Magar (1895 -1946) (Nepali/नेपाली: मित्रसेन थापा मगर (१८१५ – १९४६)) Indian Gorkha folk singer, lyrics writer, dramatist, social worker and a Freedom Fighter who took part in World War-I Master Mitrasen Thapa was born on the 29th December 1895 in Village Totarani, Bhagsu /Dharamshala. He was called master because in those days, the society called writers and musicians as Masters. He is the only Gorkha who has been felicitated by a postal stamp by both India and Nepal. He was concerned about the quality of the Gorkha society and his works are dedicated to the people. Besides his great talent, Master Mitrasen discovered and employed three major tools in communication to the masses.
One was humor, second, easy-to-sing and pick-up songs in melodious tunes and the third, the usage of simple Nepali householders‟ language. Thus, instead of sermonising in seriously, Mitrasen Thapa used the medium of humour, drama, singing and dance. His songs first mesmerised the audience who then continued to sing them again and again. The messages got repeated in the process. Mitrasen realised the community needed to come together and get united all across. Through his creative work in the Nepali language and travelling, Mitrasen united all Gorkhas from Nepal to Darjeeling to Punjab. Mitrasen also highlighted the weaknesses of the society which could affect the future. He wrote against extravagant living and excesses of drinking.
Master Mitrasen Thapa Magar Indian Gorkha folk singer, lyrics writer, dramatist, social worker and a Freedom Fighter who took part in World War-I
He wrote about the upliftment of women, and also the importance of high thinking and simple living. He wrote and spread in Nepali, the messages of Gautam Buddha, Bhagvad Gita and Mahabaharata for the Nepali masses to understand and imbibe in their daily lives.. He was always concerned about the quality of the Nepali society and most of his works are dedicated to the people. Instead of sermonising in serious tunes, Mitrasen Thapa used humour, drama, singing and dance to communicate his messages. There was time when everybody from Darjeeling, Sikkim, Dehradun to Dharamshala was all singing Master Mitrasen Thapa‟s songs. This was his way of uniting them all. It is said that during his travels, he found Nepalis speaking different dialects, along with the highly Sanskritised Nepali bhasha. He realised that he had to develop a simple common man‟s Nepali language which could be understood by all. He then decided to write in simple Gorkhali, easily understood by all. Like they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Lahure Ko Relimai - Master Mitrasen Thapa
Today as our society stands at crossroads, a revival of Master Mitrasen‟s works will again create the same magic. Nine of his songs are there recorded in his own voice and with his own music group. His writings have been compiled by several authors. 35 of his original Pandulipis are there. Out of which only a few have been published. A museum has been dedicated to him at his residence „Mitra Jhupro‟ in Totarani, Dharamshala /Bhagsu. The museum could do with funds and management for better care, but nevertheless it still houses his work, his costumes, his stage jewellery, his harmonium, his medals and all that he possessed in his humble life of fifty years. It is painstakingly run alone by his only daughter-in-law Smt Devkanya Devi Thapa, widow of Master Mitrsen‟s only son Late Digvijay Singh.
Her message this morning to me was “Jole Mitrasen Thapa lai prem garcha unsang yehi vinti chha.. Unko Jyot hamesha jali rahos. Yo jo mitra jhupro chha yo hamesha chamchama rahos. Ma ta aba pachharti saal ko chhu. Ekley sambhali rahu chhu. Roj Dhoopbatti jalai dinchu. Saal ma ek baari unko janam din ma sabai la khana khilai dinchu. Aru ma kya kari sakhum? ” (Those who love Master Mitrasen Thapa, should ensure that the light of the flame of his work continues) Extracts translated from some of the books written on Master Mitrasen Thapa
1) Mitrasen: A monograph by Magan Pathik on the Nepali author. Sahitya Academy, New Delhi (1994). First edition 1989. Second edition 1994. Amongst the many Gorkhas who made major contributions to Gorkha society was Master Mitrasen Thapa. Magan „Pathik‟of Dharamshala in his Bhartiya Sahitya Academy published book „Mitrasen‟, hails Mitrasen‟s lifetime as the golden period of Indian Nepali literature history. During this time, the country was astir with spiritual, social and political thinking. After the contributions of Vivekananda, Ramtirth and Lokmanya Tilak, great men like Gandhi‟s non-violence Satyagraha made a major impact on people. These great people were very inspiring to the people.
Rabindranth Tagore, Saratchandra, Jayshankar Prasad, Maithilisharan, Premchand, Dr Iqbal, Hasrat Muradabadi, Akbar Illhabadi and Josh Malihabadi, etc are considered the blessings of this time period, to the world of literature in the languages of Bangla, Hindi and Urdu. During that time the writers of the Nepali language included Dharnidhar Sharma, Surya Vikram Gewali, Paras Mani Pradhan, Thakur Chandra Singh, Bahadur Singh Baral and
2) Master Mitrasen ko Sanchhipt Parichay by Trilok Singh Thapa Magar, Master Mitrasen Thapa Smriti Pratisthan, Kathmandu. Family background: Enriched with Multitalented virtuoso, Master Mitra Thapa Magar was born on 29th December 1895 in India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra District, Bhagsu Dharamshala, village Dhaarakhola. He is a Sijali Magar. His original home is from Western Nepal, earlier Banglung (now Parbat zilla), and Rakhupulla village. It is said that his grandfather Santsen Thapa (Santu Thapa) in the 18th century, came via Kumaon, Garhwal and Dehradun, to Bhagsu.
After military commander Amar Singh Thapa returned to Nepal, many Gorkhali soldiers settled near the Kangra fort area. Here was born Manver Sen Thapa Magar. Mitrasen was the son of Manversen Thapa and Radha Thapa. Despite born and brought up in India, Mitrasen has made great contribution to Nepal and Nepali language through his literature, folksongs, folk theatre, and folk lore. In 1936, he started wearing Nepali daura suruwal to create awareness of the Nepali dress. He was a great writer, director, actor, singer and producer. Nepali theatre and diary writing, humour and travel writing Mitrasen‟s contribution have been hailed as immortal.
Brief life history:
Master Mitrasen studied till class 8 in the Urdu medium as was the medium then in the Himachal schools. At a young age he also learnt music. From 1912 till 1920, he joined the 1st/1st Gorkha Rifles as per family tradition. During the 1st World War he was engaged in operations in Europe and Africa. The war‟s blood, gore, violence and hatred touched his soft heart. He entertained them with hare, rode, swarthy, Baja, chudka, played with his harmonium. Maruni dance, Phusungay dance, Horitakko phaag-dance. Being of creative bend, he was not much interested in his signalling work.
In 1914, he went with his troops to France and reached the island of St Marseilles. After one year, his troops reached Mesopotamia. There they fought against the Turk army for three years (1916-18). In the WW, lakhs of people died. Lakhs of people got injured. They included many of his friends. Therefore on returning from abroad, he resigned from the army in 1920. After that he devoted himself completely to the spread of the Nepali language through the mediums of plays, story writing, drama performances, social reforms and spread of dharma for the next 24 years of his life.
Nepal Tour In 1933-35
Mitrasen undertook a long tour of Nepal and different parts of India. First he reached his family home in Nepal at Banglung. After seeing the social condition there his work is seen to have veered towards jaati sudhaar and social reformation. Towards the end of 1933, he travelled through Palpa, Gulmi and Kathmandu. With a troupe of six members he presented his prowess in drama. Then he took the same troupe and reached Calcutta. There he recorded his plays “Dhuv” “Draupadi Charitraharan” on gramophone. In 1936, while touring Kathmandu, he advised Master Ratnadas and Melva Devi that music should have Nepaliness. His last trip to Nepal was in year 1944.
At that time Folk Theatre In 1936, Master Mitrasen established the Himalayan Theatrical Company. He performed in Hindi, Urdu and Nepali plays and earned name and fame. In Nepali language, his famous unrecorded plays are „Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra (8 parts), „Satyavaan Savitri‟, etc. In Hindi and Urdu, his works include plays „Badshah Tower‟, „Darde Jigar‟, „Noor kin Putli‟, „Mashoor ki Hoor‟, etc.
Nepali Folk songs He performed in the Kathmandu‟s durbar plays, dramas, songs and shamans. He was highly felicitated for the same.
Gramophone Disc Records (Recorded in Calcutta)
1) Malai khukrukkay paryo jethan timro bahini le.
2) Dhaan ko Bala jhulyo hazoor deshei ramailo
3) Lahureko reli ma pheshun ramrod
4) Aba ta jau kanchhi ghara, baato chha Ukali Ourahli
5) Bhana Gorkhali Daju bhai Jai Gorkhali
6) Swami na jao chhari bidesh
7) Kina garchha tanataani dui din ko chha jindagani
8) Chui chui chukiney jootta
9) Chhatre topi dhalkai dhalkayi khukri chamkayi Out of his 63 songs, only 23 have been recorded.
In 1942, he wrote the „Buddhvaani‟ in Nepali language to spread the message of the
Buddha in a simple language. From 1940 till 1944, he wrote in Nepali, „Tirth Yatra‟, „Dharma Chhora‟, „Premma Bhagwan‟, „Teen Kura‟, „Teen Yogi‟, etc. „Premma Bhagwan‟ 3) Mitra ko Diary This edition contains Epics „Mahabharat ko Prahlad‟, „Parshuram Lakshman Samvad (73 lines)‟, „Bhakt Prahlad (702 lines), „Chandra Haas (107 lines), „Veer Abhimanyu (1120 lines), etc. For women‟s emancipation he wrote „Ekadashi Vratkatha (142 lines)‟, „Satyanarayan Katha (245 lines)‟, „Vitwamagal (1760 lines)‟, „Chandra hans (170 lines) and „Sant Sukhvai (330 lines), etc
Song writing: Master Mitrasen wrote his songs in a simple language which would reach the Gorkhali masses. For example: “Rajya Sukh bhog Nimti Phaaakeyma, yudh rachaune kina? Mero manle mandayina, Krishna sansar dubauna kina? Duniyalai kasth, dukh diyara garib ko ragat choosera Jansamuhlai masera mauz urauna kina?” Mahabharat In 1934-37 he wrote from the Mahabharat „Aadiparva‟, „Sabhaparva‟, „Viraat parrva‟, „Udyog parva‟in Nepali. 4) Buddha Baani by Master Mitrasen Thapa This book was published in 1996 by the Mitrasen Sahitya Sangeet Sabha, Bhagsu, Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India with foreword by His Holiness.
The Indian youth icon Roshni Rai also the founder of Run With Roshni came third/3rd in Tenzing Hillary Everest Half Marathon, the world's highest marathon.The Everest Marathon was started in 1985 by Jan Turner and Tony Hunt on a trek to and from Everest Base Camp.The even was organised by the Himalaya Expeditions, HimEX in short, which is an Adventure Travel and Expedition Company based in Nepal and founded by Nepalese Tourism Professionals.
Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is an International High Altitude Adventure Sports Event held at Mt. Everest Base Camp every year on May 29 since 2003 to commemorate the historical ascent of Mount Everest by Late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. The trail crisscrosses the Sherpa heartlands of Khumbu Valley between the Everest Base Camp and Namche Bazaar.
Roshni Rai Receiving certificate from Indian Army Colonel, who lead the Indian Army Expedition to Everest 2016.
Roshni on her FB wall wrote the following Universe loves me.I came 3rd in Tenzing Hillary Everest (THEM) Half Marathon & I won the cash prize of Rs.25000/- (NC). Reached Everest Base Camp on 27th May & I got the high altitude sickness.I started suffering from lose motion & vomiting. Came down to low altitude in Dinboche yesterday by walking 21km. Today in the morning, I joined Half Marathon from Dinboche.It was tough but Bikram Pandey Kaji NuwaKott Sir has asked Deepak Rai, who is a three times winner of THEM to pace me today. It was with the support of Deepak Rai only, I managed to come third. My finish time for half marathon is 4hrs 2mins. Now I understood God's plan to make me high altitude sick in Everest Base Camp :) Thanks to Meenu Shrestha for all the beautiful pics. Will be updating more abt EBC trekking soon.
The top three runners in the half marathon have reached the finishing point. The timings of the top three runners are:
1st: Tenzing Dolmans (3:30:13 hrs)
2nd: Dominique Hopkins (3:32:18 hrs)
3rd: Roshani Rai (4:02:08 hrs) Simarlarly The winners of Full Marathon Open Foreigners:
1. Mr. Robert Celinski from Poland - 4 hrs 24 mins 08 seconds
2. Mr. Fabrice Kah from France - 5 hrs 15 mins 04 seconds
3. Mr. Joseph Wynes from USA - 5 hrs 41 mins 12 seconds
This is indeed a great achievement by our own Roshni Rai and we on be half of the Indian Gorkha Community would like to congratulate her for her achievement. You made us proud again.
Shri Subash Ghisingh always stood for the separate Indian Gorkha Troops, so as to differentiate the “Indo – Nepal Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” and to save the whole settled Indian Gorkhas from unnecessary and permanent stigma and allegation of Foreigners, Mercenaries, Reciprocal people and Nepal subjects.
Finally after 30 years on 2nd April 2016, The Army have raised a new Gorkha battalion comprising entirely of Indian Gorkha troops i.e. Sixth Battalion of the First Gorkha Rifles (6/1GR), named “Kanchi Paltan”. Traditionally, the majority of troops in Gorkha regiments belong to Nepal, The stipulated ratio of composition of these regiments between Nepalese and Indian domicile Gorkhas is about 70:30:
Why the need of separate Indian Gorkha Regiment / Battalion?
The separate Indian gorkha regiment or battalion is required so as to have clear distinction between the “Agreement Troops” (the gorkha troops from Nepal / Nepalese citizen) and the “Indian Gorkha Troops ( The gorkha troops from Indian / Indian citizen )”
The Indian Gorkhas had faced and are still facing the unique identity crisis with regard to their Indian citizenship because of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) which permits "the citizen of Nepal or India, the freedom to reside, own the property, participate in trade and commerce and other rights of similar nature in their territory”. Thus, there are many Nepalese citizens of Nepal who have migrated after 1950 living in India. The Indian Gorkhas are mistakenly identified as the citizens of Nepal who have migrated to India in search of jobs and livelihood.
Whereas the history of Indian gorkha starts from The Gorkha War (1814–1816), the war that was fought between Gorkha Kingdom ( Nepal ) and the British East India Company which ended up by signing the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816.
The Sugauli Treaty was signed on 2nd December 1815 and later ratified on 4 March 1816 between East India Company and King of Nepal: however, the treaty asked for the territorial concessions, in which large territory of Nepal was given to British India, and also allowed British to recruit Gurkhas for its military service.
Under the treaty, about “one-third of Gorkha Kingdom (Nepal)” was lost, including Darjeeling, Sikkim, territory to west of the Kali River like Kumaon (present Indian state of Uttarakhand), Garhwal (present Indian state of Uttarakhand); some territories to the west of the Sutlej River like Kangra (present day Himachal Pradesh); and much of the Terai Region, It caused Nepal to lose about “105,000 km2” of its territory.
Later on in 1947, when British India got its Independent creating India and Pakistan, the fate of Indian gorkha was neglected and remained unresolved as Nepal didn’t accepted it back or demanded its lost territory nor did Indian accepted it constitutionally to be its Union of State by declaring these gorkha dominated areas (territory which had come to British India as per Sugauli Teaty) as a state of Gorkahaland, a state which would uphold the identity of Indian gorkha, like the states of Wes Bengal for Indian Bangalis or Punjab for Indian Panjabi.
But rather India signed an agreement with Nepal in 1950 which created the confusion on citizenship of entire gorkha settled in India, the gorkha who had come along with their ceded land to British India began to be called as foreigner on their own homeland in present India.
Hence, Shri Subash Ghisingh not only led the movement for separate state of Gorkhaland, which he believed would resolve our identity crisis in Indian; But also demanded for the separate Indian Gorkha Regiment for Indian Grokha so as to have clear cut distinction between Indian Gorkha and Nepali Gorkha,
Historical archive below :
Date: 15th January 1987:
Telegram sent To Shri Rajiv Gandhi, P M of India, Copy to King of Nepal:
We have no other alternative but to ask the whole settled Indian Gorkhas not to join the “Agreement Troops” of Gorkha Rifles. Furthermore, we are compelled to ask the central Government of India to immediately establish a New and Separate India Gorkha Regiment so as to save the whole settled Gorkhas from unnecessary and permanent stigma and allegation of Foreigners, Mercenaries, Reciprocal people and Nepal subjects.
Date: 3rd February, 1987: Statement released:
Urging government for formation of separate “Indian Gorkha Troops” to save guard the Indian Gorkha community and in the larger interest of Indian.
Date: 22nd July 1987:
Letter To Rajiv Gandhi PM, India:
Point No 9, (iii) The “Indian Gorkha Regiment” must be established as soon as possible so as to make a clear distinction between the “Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” in the interest of the victimized Gorkha and in the interest of the country of Indian. After declaration of the Government Notification on the issue of citizenship, the recruitment of the aboriginal and the settled gorkhas to the “Agreement Troops” must be immediately stopped.
However MOS was signed 23rd August 1988 between Subash Ghising (President of GNLF) and CG Somiah (Union Home Secretary) in presence of Sd/ Buta Singh (Union Home Minister) in Delhi:
As regards raising a separate Indian Gorkha Regiment, the policy of the Government of India of not having any new regiment raised on class composition was acknowledge. However, it was clarified that it is not obligatory for Indian Gorkhas to join only specified Gorkha Regiments and that they have the option to join the Regiments of their choice. To this extent suitable instructions will be issued by the Army Headquarters…….
Finally now after 30 year of struggle the government of Indian understood the strategic need of Indian Gorkha battalion to uphold the gorkha regiment FOREVER in India. We view this STRATEGIC decision, not only an employment opportunity BUT also a clear cut distinction between Indina gorkha and Nepalese gorkha citizens. Source HAMRO APPA
Feb 21, 2016- India has formed the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to review treaties and relations between the two countries and it is proud moment for all Indian Gorkhas that Prof Mahendra P Lama is part of it. Dr. Lama is one of the four members representing the country in EGP.
Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Nepal expert Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Professor Mahendra P Lama and Professor BC Upreti, a senior fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation have been named as the members.
An agreement to establish the EPG was reached in 2011 during the official visit of former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai to India. The two countries agreed to prepare the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the EPG in 2014 during the third meeting of Nepal-India Joint Commission in Kathmandu.
Nepal formed its EPG last month. Former secretary and chief commissioner of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Surya Nath Upadhyay, former ambassador Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former ambassador Nilambar Acharya and UML lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai are the EPG members from the Nepali side.
Prof Mahendra P Lama
Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar made the announcement of formation of the EPG on Saturday during a press briefing coinciding with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s six-day visit to India.
Members Indian side
Jayant Prasad, former ambassador to Nepal
Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, BJP leader
Prof Mahendra P Lama
Prof BC Upreti, senior fellow at Vivekananda International Foundation
Nepali side
Surya Nath Upadhyay, former chief commissioner, CIAA
Bhekh Bahadur Thapa, former ambassador
Nilambar Acharya, former ambassador
Rajan Bhattarai, UML lawmaker
* Nepal formed its EPG last month
A group of Kathmandu-based Nepalese lawyers has filed a petition before the World Court at The Hague challenging India's sovereignty over the Darjeeling hill areas.
It bases its case on Article 8 of the Indo-Nepalese treaty of 1950 which cancels all previous "treaties and engagements" entered into between Nepal and the British authorities in India "so far as matters dealt with herein are concerned".
Through a deed of grant dated 1835, "the hill of Darjeeling" was ceded to India by the raja of Nepal "on account of its cool climate, for the purpose of enabling the servants of the governor-general's government, suffering from sickness, to avail themselves of its advantages". Darjeeling thus came to India as a sanatorium!
The Kathmandu lawyers argue that as Article 8 of the 1950 treaty extinguishes all treaties and engagements concluded by the British, Darjeeling, ceded by such an engagement, must revert to Nepal. The petition will doubtless be rejected by the World Court on the ground that, in terms of the statutes of the World Court, the Government of India cannot be impleaded without its consent. This, however, would be a procedural dismissal. A substantive rebuttal of the petition's arguments is what needs to be made.
Map of India in 1805
The mere fact of the petition could spark a fire on the hill. For the Indian Gorkha dreads nothing more than reabsorption into Nepal. And nothing angers him more than being told that the Indian Gorkha and the Nepalese Gorkha, like Natha Singh and Prem Singh, are one and the same thing.
They are not. After all, no Bengali likes being mistaken for a Bangladeshi; any Thanjavur Tamil would resent being looked on as a Jaffna Tamil; and no Indian Punjabi would take it lying down if he were labelled a Pakistani Punjabi.
The problem is particularly acute for the Indian Gorkha as, unlike the Jaffna Tamil or the Pakistani Punjabi, the Nepalese Gorkha has the unfettered right to live and work in this country. Indeed, a Nepalese Gorkha is not only entitled but encouraged to join the Indian Army.
Uncertain of their national status, apprehensive of their future, confounded by an identity crisis imposed upon them, the Indian Gorkhas, under their leader, Subhas Ghising of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), have for over a decade been pleading for the removal of ambiguity about the implications of Article 8.
At the same time, they have asked why the Government of India is paying Rs 5 lakh annually to the Government of Bhutan for retaining Kalimpong and the Dooars in the Union of India. Why pay rent for land that should be ours? The annual payment is an international obligation contracted by us under Article 3 of the India-Bhutan treaty of 1949.
Does this mean these territories are Bhutanese properties, held on lease by India? Will it take another GNLF agitation to get the Government to squarely answer these ambiguities? The last agitation was ended in 1988 when Rajiv Gandhi finally persuaded a blinkered Jyoti Basu to concede a measure of executive autonomy to a besieged micro-minority. In the decade that has passed, the Left Front Government in Calcutta has done everything it can to sabotage the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).
Funds have been diverted, held back, denied. The ludicrous argument is made, by a CPI(M) that has salted away uncounted crores into the personal ledger accounts of its cadres, that the DGHC is misusing the peanuts thrown at it.
Darjeeling district is that only in name: more than half its area falls in the plains and vast tracts of hill areas inhabited by Indian Gorkhas have been segregated and placed in the adjacent district of Jalpaiguri. The same goes for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency: two-thirds of the votes are in the plains and fellow Gorkhas have been pushed into adjacent constituencies.
At the Centre, funds for the DGHC are not being sent directly to Darjeeling but funnelled through Calcutta; the CPI(M) not only mulcts its share of the booty but uses its purse strings to make DGHC councillors dance to its tune. Where the memorandum of settlement specified that the "Gorkha language" would be included in the 8th Schedule, the Centre, utterly gracelessly, put it down as "Nepali" and then clarified that that means the same as "Gorkhabhasha". There is insensitivity all around, in Delhi as much as in Calcutta.
Which is why the fire on the hill is being stoked. The fire can yet be doused if three steps are taken. One, on the model of the special constitutional provisions for Tuensang district of Nagaland, the executive and legislative authority of the West Bengal Government in the Darjeeling hill areas is made subject to the DGHC's concurrence, and central funds for the DGHC are channelled direct to Darjeeling.
Two, the district of Darjeeling is reconstituted to include all, and only, Gorkha hill areas, and Parliament's delimitation commission is approached to redraw the boundaries of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency to ensure a voice for the Indian Gorkha in Parliament.
Three, all ambiguities are removed about the national status of the Indian Gorkhas and the land they inhabit.
Otherwise, the gathering momentum towards a Gorkha Pradesh, that is, the separation of the hill areas from the plains, might prove irresistible. Those who wish to avoid another partition of Bengal had best attend to making the Gorkhas feel a valued part of Bengal.
................................ This article was originally published on Feb 2, 1998 in INDIA TODAY originally posted at: bit.ly/1ntQXah
The political legacy of Subash Ghisingh i.e. “Treaty of Sugauli, Article 1 & 8 of Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950, Article 1 (3) C, Article 2 of Indian Constitution and International court of justice Hague” are being used by The Greater Nepal Activist in Nepal to claim its old legitimate Territory from India.
I, still remember once Mr Ghisingh said in his chowk bazar’s speech..., Now Gorkhaland is a Need of India, as India have NO other option BUT to declare Gorkhaland as its union of state under Article 1 (3) C, Article 2 of Indian Constitution as it is only the way out left with India to incorporate the No-man’s land of Darjeeling and Leasehold Land of Kalimpong and Dooars Constitutionally within the Republic of India.
Decoding Article 1 (3) C, Article 2:
Article 1, Name and territory of the Union:
Article (1) = India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States (2) The States and the territories thereof shall be as specified in the First Schedule.] (3) The territory of India shall comprise- (a) the territories of the States; (b) the Union territories specified in the First Schedule; and (c) such other territories as may be acquired.
Article 2 = Admission or establishment of new States.-Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.
Hence, Article 2, Article 1 (3) C here stands with = “The Parliament may by law establish a new state comprise of others / foreign acquired territories"
Subash Ghisingh
Which means, considering the proposed area of Gorkhaland as unclaimed legally dispute land of Nepal, Bhutan or India; The only option left with Indian to claim the land is to declare the territory of proposed Gorkhaland as its Union of States, considering it to be others acquired territories as per Article – 1 (3) C of Indian Constitution, as it is the only article in our constitution which fits the most to claim the mentioned territories in said circumstances.
The Fate of Indian Gorkhas are waiting for its bad days or good days just like an old graveyard of an unknown soldier.
Shri Subash Ghisingh always stood for separate Indian Gorkha Troops reason being to differentiate the “Indo – Nepal Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” and for greater interest of India, there were series of talks and correspondence regarding this issue:
15th January 1987, Telegram sent To Shri Rajiv Gandhi, P M of India, Copy to King of Nepal:
We have no other alternative but to ask the whole settled Indian Gorkhas not to join the “Agreement Troops” of Gorkha Rifles. Furthermore, we are compelled to ask the central Government of India to immediately establish a New and Separate India Gorkha Regiment so as to save the whole settled Gorkhas from unnecessary and permanent stigma and allegation of Foreigners, Mercenaries, Reciprocal people and Nepal subjects.
3rd February, 1987 Statement released:
Urging government for formation of separate “Indian Gorkha Troops” to save guard the Indian Gorkha community and in the larger interest of Indian.
22nd July 1987, Letter To Rajiv Gandhi PM, India:
Point No 9, (iii) The “Indian Gorkha Regiment” must be established as soon as possible so as to make a clear distinction between the “Agreement Troops” and the “Indian Gorkha Troops” in the interest of the victimized Gorkha and in the interest of the country of Indian. After declaration of the Government Notification on the issue of citizenship, the recruitment of the aboriginal and the settled gorkhas to the “Agreement Troops” must be immediately stopped.
MOS was signed 23rd August 1988 between Subash Ghising (President of GNLF) and CG Somiah (Union Home Secretary) in presence of Sd/ Buta Singh (Union Home Minister) in Delhi.
As regards raising a separate Indian Gorkha Regiment, the policy of the Government of India of not having any new regiment raised on class composition was acknowledge. However, it was clarified that it is not obligatory for Indian Gorkhas to join only specified Gorkha Regiments and that they have the option to join the Regiments of their choice. To this extent suitable instructions will be issued by the Army Headquarters.
Recent political Scenario:
13th May 2008 “No More Gurkhas for India” Prachanda has asked the Indian state to stop the recruitment of Nepalese into the Indian military.
20th March 2012 – Times of India “Nepal may ban Gorkhas from joining foreign armies” Rajat Pandit, "As per our information, it's a proposal being studied in Nepal as of now...no final decision has yet been taken. We are tracking it closely," said a senior defense ministry official on Monday.”
21st March 2012 – Hindustan Times:
“Gorkha soldiers from Nepal who have been an integral part of the Indian Army for over six decades could soon become a thing of the past and a glorious chapter of valor and sacrifice by soldiers of a friendly neighbour would come to an end”
23rd January 2015: Daily Mai News :
“Stir in Indian army as Kathmandu mulls Gorkha ban”
Nepal government set to impose ban on joining Indian army by Gorkhas as Social media video of martyr Ram Bahadur Gurung generates acute breach amongst Indian army units.
Nepal’s communist Chief have been urging ban of Gorkhas in Indian army for quite sometimes further recent shift of foreign relation of Nepal from Indian to China and ongoing protest of Madhesis in Nepal which Nepal accuse India or BJP of providing logistics support to the movement of Madhesis (Indian origin Nepali) against the Nepal Government; Further the ongoing supply cut of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and jet fuel by Indian and China coming in to supply 1,000 tonnes fuel to Nepal are seen as series of event which are creating rift between two countries.
Therefore the announcement made on 29th October 2015 to raise an additional battalions for Indian Gorkha is a strategic decision taken by ministry of defence (India)
The Army has several Gorkha regiments— 1GR, 3GR, 4GR, 5GR, 8GR, 9GR and 11 GR, with five battalions each. The stipulated ration of composition of these regiments between Nepalese and Gorkhas of Indian domicile is about 70:30. “The Army’s plans are that each Gorkha Regiment will raise an additional battalion, which will be done in a phased manner, beginning with 1 GR,” said Lt Gen Thodge. Unlike in the past where Gorkha battalions comprised troops primarily from Nepal, the new battalion, designated as the Sixth Battalion of the First Gorkha Rifles (6/1 GR), will comprise Gorkha troops of Indian domicile (Indian Gorkhas), that is, those settled in the hilly regions of northern India and the North-East.
Finally after 28 years, Indian government have now understood the significance of separate Indian Gorkha Troops for the safeguard of India and the Gorkha Regiment itself, what Mr Subash Ghisingh did in 1987 “The Great political foresighted Leader” Hamro Appa !
Jai Gorkha, Jai Gorkhaland !
YNepal police have fired into a crowd of protesters trying to block a key border checkpoint and killed an Indian civilian as anger over a new constitution boiled over.
The violence came hours after police forcibly broke up the blockade in the southern town of Birgunj on the border with India that has led to crippling fuel shortages and cut off access to other vital supplies in the landlocked Himalayan nation.
“Police warned the protesters to disperse but they did not listen, compelling security forces to open fire,” said a Nepalese police spokesman, Kamal Singh Bam. “An Indian national was wounded and died after being taken to hospital.”
Four police were injured in clashes at the checkpoint, Bam told AFP.
Bam could not confirm if any other civilians were wounded. A local party leader involved in the protests said seven people had been hurt, including a 11-year-old boy struck by a rubber bullet.
“When police fired rubber bullets at the demonstrators, one hit the child on the head, leaving him bleeding,” said Shiva Patel, general secretary of the regional Sadbhawana party.
Earlier, police used batons to disperse protesters from Nepal’s Madhesi ethnic minority, angered by Nepal’s new constitution, which they say will leave them politically marginalised.
Patel said hundreds more protesters had arrived at the scene after police beat up demonstrators and burned down their tents to force an end to the blockade, which began on 24 September.
“We were outnumbered then but now hundreds more have descended on the bridge and blocked it again,” he said.
The minority-ethnic protesters want the government to change the constitution because they say the new federal structure it lays out will mean they are under-represented in parliament.
The latest violence dashed hopes of a compromise that was discussed when the government and protesting parties held talks at the weekend. Madhesi leaders announced a halt to negotiations.
“We will not sit at a table and hold talks with the government until the police stop attacking our people,” said Laxman Lal Karna, vice-chair of the Sadbhawana party.
More than 40 people have been killed in clashes between police and people protesting against the constitution, which was introduced in September after a deadly earthquake pushed warring political parties to reach agreement.
India, which has repeatedly urged dialogue, said it was “deeply concerned” by Monday’s violence.
“Issues facing Nepal are political in nature and cannot be resolved by force,” its foreign ministry said in a statement. “Causes underlying the present state of confrontation need to addressed by the government of Nepal credibly and effectively.”
The fuel crisis has soured ties between Nepal and its powerful neighbour, with authorities in Kathmandu accusing Delhi of imposing an unofficial blockade to show its dissatisfactionwith the new constitution.
Nepal has long sourced all its fuel from India, but the movement of cargo across Birgunj and other Indian border checkpoints had slowed to a crawl since the blockade began.
Delhi denies the charge and has urged dialogue with the protesting Madhesis, who have close cultural, linguistic and family ties to Indians living across the border.
There was no immediate sign of fuel tanker lorries entering Nepal, although a customs official told AFP more than 100 empty Indian lorries left stranded in Nepal due to the blockade had crossed to India during the brief period the border was open.
The disruption prompted Nepal to sign its first-ever fuel supply agreement with China last week, ending a decades-long monopoly by India.
Beijing also agreed to donate 1.3m litres of petrol to Nepal to try to ease shortages.
The blockade has also forced international aid organisations to halt relief operations for tens of thousands of earthquake victims just weeks before winter sets in.
The constitution was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal’s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist insurgency.
China sends oil to Nepal, India loses sole provider status
India on Wednesday lost its age-old status of Nepal's sole fuel provider with the land-locked nation signing an agreement with China on supply of petroleum products to alleviate shortages caused by the blockade of land routes from India due to unrest over the new constitution.
"Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and China National United Fuel Corporation formalized a long-term commercial agreement in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon," a senior Nepali bureaucrat told TOI.
Under the agreement, the bureaucrat added, China will supply fuel at international rates, which Kathmandu might find cheaper than its imports from India. To begin with, China will fulfill at least a third of Nepal's requirements.
Representative image
Just how effective the Chinese supplies will be remains to be seen as every month, Nepal imports about 2,200 tonnes of LPG. It needs about 15 lakh litres of petrol and 10-15 lakh litres of diesel every day. Nepal spends about Rs 150 billion in Nepali currency to buy fuel from India every year.
Indian officials in Delhi said Nepal was free to act in its interests, though they felt Nepal was to blame for its situation. An official said the ball was still in Nepal's court as India was not responsible for the blockade. "There are sit-ins and protests and only Nepal can address the issues involved. Our truckers are suffering too. It actually seems Nepal itself has given up on the main Raxaul-Birgunj crossing,'' he said, adding Nepal needs to have a relook at its constitution. The official said India was not going to be "prescriptive" about the changes Nepal needed to make in its constitution.
Nepal decided to look beyond India for fuel supply while the two nations were locked in a who-blinks-first game over the Madhesi question.
"Our officials were in talks with China since Tuesday," the bureaucrat said. "From now on, we do not have to depend on one particular country for fuel," he bureaucrat said when asked if China alone would be able to fulfill Nepal's energy requirements. Reports from Nepal, however, said the capacity of the highways from the north needs to be checked in order to ensure steady flow of supplies.
Disruption in fuel supply from India began following a dispute between Madhesi parties and major national parties over Nepal's new constitution. Madhesis (Maithili, Bhojpuri, Avadhi and Hindi-speaking Nepalis) want proportionate representation in Parliament and a separate province comprising all 21 Terai districts bordering UP and Bihar. This apart, Tharus, a plains tribe, too are fighting for similar rights. Major parties claim some of the Terai districts have a Pahari majority.
On Monday, an eight-member Nepali delegation had reached Beijing to discuss the modalities of fuel supply. The same day, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying had said China would help Nepal as a friendly neighbour to "relieve its shortage of fuel supply".
In addition, Beijing has agreed to send about 1,000 tonnes of fuel in grant. "This consignment has already reached the Rasuwa-Kerung border point," the bureaucrat said. NOC is making arrangements to bring the supplies to Kathmandu, latest by this weekend.
Rasuwa-Kerung is one of the six major trans-Himalayan routes connecting Nepal with Tibet. The biggest entry point, Tatopani, 110 km northeast of Kathmandu, suffered heavy damage during the April earthquake.
Nepal's decision to get oil from China evoked mixed reactions. In Birgunj, on the Nepal-Bihar border where India has a consulate, Madhesi agitators held a demonstration with placards that read 'China, back off' and 'Do not work against Madhesi agitation by supplying oil in Nepal'. In September, burning of a Chinese flag during a Madhesi demonstration had sparked a row in Nepal.
In stark contrast, some sections of hill Nepalis want their new communist Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli to build bigger roads to China, look beyond India for fuel supply and initiate gas and oil explorations within the country itself. Till some time ago, anti-India demonstrations and burning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effigies were regular affairs in Kathmandu.
On top of that, many top Nepali leaders, including Oli, Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpakamal Dahal aka Prachanda and his deputy Narayankaji Shrestha, have held talks with various Chinese officials in recent weeks.
"It's sad that the situation has reached such a pass despite our shared historical, religious, cultural and ethnic ties with India," the Nepali bureaucrat rued.
Most hill Nepalis, including ministers, have taken exception to blockade of entry points by Madhesi agitators, especially on "das gaja" (no-man's land between India and Nepal). They derisively call it "India's undeclared blockade" to force Nepal to amend its constitution in favour of Madhesis. Days before he became PM, Oli too had remarked, "Why should any country be unhappy when we are making a constitution for ourselves?"
Incidentally, the paradigm shift in India-Nepal relations coincided with Vidya Devi Bhandari, a Pahari leader from the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) succeeding the country's first President Ramvaran Yadav, a Madhesi. She defeated Nepali Congress's K B Gurung in an election boycotted by Madhesi parties.
Before I commence going into the intricacies of the headline that I have put up and start substantiating, I would like to salute the valiant spirit of the people of Nepal who have endured a long struggle, innumerable sacrifices and cultural diversity to eke out real democracy for themselves. It may have taken more than 7 years but, it is the end that inspires me more than anything. It sounds like a dramatic fairy tale filled with action, drama and emotions but more than that it’s a tale of fortitude and of the will to let democracy triumph against all odds. Today, Nepal has joined the league of those nations where people will be true sovereign and not any traditional king.
The Nepalese constitution is a land mark document containing the dreams and aspirations of the people of the Himalayan nation. It is a glimmer of hope for millions who had dreamt of the day when they could be the masters of their destiny in every possible way, when Nepal will move as per the aspirations of it’s masses and the day has indeed come. One cannot help but equate the sense of triumph with the one that our people knew when they framed the lengthiest constitution of the world. A secular republic which is extremely diverse in it’s own right has made a dash to the coveted path of democracy.
But, amidst all the good features of the constitution, Nepal is gripped by conundrum and violence as Madheshis and some others feel left out. What complicates the situation is #The Back Off India campaign in Nepal. The campaign comes in the backdrop of India expressing concern due to unrest very close to India’s border. Both the timing and the interpretation of India’s concerns have been misrepresented in Nepalese and our own media. India could have definitely drafted a better note but none of our intentions were towards undermining Nepal’s rights as a sovereign nation. The situation in Nepal is indeed intense and warrants Nepal’s attention and definitely Nepal can and will do everything it can to make sure that Madheshis get their voices heard. What they are saying is also absolutely right given the fact that they stand debarred from constitutional positions in spite of championing the cause of Nepal’s prosperity and democracy but this constitution provides ample flexibility to accommodate public opinion and when I say public opinion I strictly mean that of the people of Nepal irrespective of ethnicity and not India’s.
Today the situation is such that everybody is leaving no stone unturned in branding India as the country that is actively pursuing interventionist agenda and hampering the sovereignty of Nepal. China is being projected as a messiah for democracy. Pakistan too is being viewed with the same lens and nothing can be more tragic as it neither respects Nepal’s religious diversity nor it’s own people and has been more of a dictator than a democracy. So, who is being who vis –a-vis Nepal? Who is playing the interventionist? Let us first understand the paradigms of interventionist behaviour to make things clear.
What is interventionist behavior: Interventionist behavior is indicated and dictated by pure strategic goals and has no regard for human values, ethnic and national identities. It prospers at the cost of the intervened state notwithstanding the aspirations of the home state, enjoys playing it against it’s closest friends , isolates it and uses it to harm it’s own interests by sabotaging it’s relations with the countries with whom the intervened share the closest bond. All in all, it destroys the very cordiality which benefits it’s people by creating misleading impressions and doles out money just till the time it loses it’s real friends and leaves it in the lurch after that.
India, China and Nepal
Now, let me make this task somewhat easier by providing some grinding facts that can make the job of an average Nepalese and for that matter anybody in the world to make the right judgement.
In the 19th century, China did not support Nepal against the British as the colonial forces invaded Nepal twice, despite the fact that the Chinese were bound by a treaty to render help during external aggression. If this betrayal is too old to remember, let us look at China’s foreign policy since the installment of Mao’s regime in China and subsequently. The Chinese have pursued a relentless policy of military expansion and border claims on their neighbours. Tibet’s forcible annexation was a direct threat to Nepal’s sovereignty. The ‘back off campaign’ must also figure out that merely sending congratulatory note does not mean that China is all gung ho about democracy in Nepal. It was never in favour of Nepal’s transition to democracy. So much so, it provided sophisticated arms to the King in quelling the revolutionary movement in Nepal. It is the same country that has stood as a marauding force against cultural synthesis and diversity. The Chinese atrocities in Tibet and the denial of freedom of religion are a well established fact. They have spared no stone unturned in the ethnic cleansing of cultural minorities like the Uighurs and the Tibetan Buddhism and there are significant instances of girls from these groups being forcibly married off to the ethnic Hans to obliterate the very identity of the ethnic minorities in China. China does not treat Nepal more than a counterweight to settle strategic goals and foment unrest in the family like Indo-Nepal relations. The classical saying of divide and rule is being employed by the dragon and the outright loss will be to Nepal and India both, in the long term. Can a country that tolerates no dissent in it’s own territory love to see the blossoming of democracy in another? How can the very government that has effaced multi-cultural identity of ancient China be a natural partner of the Nepalese people, who are extremely diverse and have a culture worth being proud of? Or Can the country that has tried to sabotage the whole process of democratic transition in Nepal be really trusted and called non – interventionist? Ironically, the crusaders of Nepalese democracy fell to the Chinese supplied bullets and yet, China claims that it welcomes democracy in Nepal. Perplexing and befuddling.
On the contrary, India not only took the responsibility of assisting Nepal in securing itself from Mao’s grand expansion but also sought to orient Nepal towards development by providing transit points and port facilities for ensuring smooth foreign trade for Nepal. As our PM rightly pointed out that India indeed has a relation of Roti and Beti with Nepal, Nepalese people in India and Indian people in Nepal have selflessly worked for the cause of each other. We are all aware of the brave Gurkhas and their stellar role in the defence of these two nations who have more similarities than differences. For us in India , the people of Nepal are more like our family members and hence, our businesses, our colonies, shops, companies , public sector, private sector and defence forces have welcomed people from across the physical border with alacrity and treated them at par with native Indian citizens. This is unique considering the fact that this is not reciprocated in Nepal and is a significant support to lakhs of families who find India as the land of their dreams. This has come neither at the cost of ethnic pride nor at the cost of self respect and strangely enough, India has been branded interventionist. This has come out of sheer love for our Nepalese brethren, our historical ties and not due to economic considerations. An average Indian donated in the aftermath of massive earthquake not because we were told by our government to do so, but, because we were driven by the feeling of affinity for people of Nepal and the need to stand with them in their grief. The immediate relief work was more motivated by the need of humanity and not interventionist agenda. It was not to brag that we had done something great but to help a country in desperate need, the country for whom we have worked ceaselessly and whose people have served India as the shield of Iron whenever we have faced aggression.
Conclusion ::
An interventionist state tries to break apart factions, play them against one another and anybody who has closely followed struggle for democracy in Nepal can vouch for my claim that it was India that brought warring parties together to negotiate and pave way for democracy in Nepal. China was sitting and watching the democrats slay the communists and vice versa for it had nothing to lose in another bloody civil war in Nepal for the blood flowing in the streets would have been alien. India’s ‘taking note’ is simply to convey that equal opportunity and citizenship will transform Nepal true to the ideals of it’s democratic struggle where no caste, no ethnicity, no cultural barriers, no socialist, no democrat, no Nepali, no Madhesi and no Tharu mattered ,but, what mattered was love for Nepal and driving it towards people’s rule.
Mere congratulatory notes from despotic regimes do not convey the right intentions. The incoherence in stated and hidden motives conveys very well that neither Pakistan nor China would like to see a strong democracy in Nepal. Their aid..like the beef food is just a tool to lure Nepal in their trap. How hypocritical of China to arm the king’s forces to murder democracy and now acting like a saint. But, they don’t realize that the bonds between the people of our two great sovereign nations will withstand this test of time as Nepal will figure out the dragon’s interventionist agenda and continue to strengthen itself economically, socially and democratically. We wish all the best to Nepal and congratulate it’s people in their endeavor to make democracy a roaring success.
Upping the ante, Nepal said it is looking at establishing contacts with China through land route and with other countries through air if the blockade on India border does not end soon.
Nepalese deputy PM and home minister, Bamdev Gautam told dna in an interview that it is keeping its options open and will not bow to any pressure.
“It is true that India is a strong country and a big economy but to live we will have to make alternative arrangements. It is within our rights to have alternative arrangements… Nepal has never bowed down to anyone and will not bow even now. We will establish contact with China through land and with other countries through air to get the essential supplies,” said Guatam.
Blaming squarely the government of India, Gautam said that all border check posts along Indian border have closed down and the Indian government has fully supported the blockade.
Nepal cargo truck blockade
“Indian representatives say it is not Indian government’s policy but the Indian officials at the border have told us that they are doing it as per the instructions of their government. This blockade has been done in favour of Madhesi parties. About 29-30 years ago India had done blockade for several days when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM then Nepal showed that Nepal can never be bowed down due to blockade,” said Gautam.
People in Kathmandu have started feeling the pangs of the blockade on the India-Nepal border that continued for the fourth successive day. Several petrol pumps reported shortage of fuel supply in the valley and many turned the vehicles away.
Sources in the government said that the road leading to border check point with China at Tatopani near Sindhupal Chowk that was devastated in the earthquake is being rebuilt and will not take more than seven days to complete.
“It is hardly 114 kilometres from Kathmandu and once ready supplies can reach Kathmandu within 4-6 hours. The other border check point with China, Syapra Besi near Nuakot is also only 132 kilometres away and can be opened up in a few months if needed. China would be more than happy to help us,” said a highly-placed Nepalese government official.
India, however, considers this as more of a posturing by Nepal. Senior government sources dealing with the situation said, it is easier said than done as Nepal knows how much it depends on India, and the Chinese will also not be interested. Nepal is using this only as a bargaining chip.
“The Madhesis have genuine concerns which have not been met by Nepal’s constitution. Nepal would do well if it calls the Madhesis, listens to them and at least gives them some assurance to end this crisis and blockade,” said a senior official.
LUMBINI: Over 5,000 vehicles, including carrier trucks and tankers, have been stranded on the Indian side as India kept the Nepal-India border check point at Sunauli, close on Sunday also.
The vehicles, carrying different types of goods from India to Nepal, have queued up in a road stretch of 30 kilometre from south of Sunauli after the Indian Customs Office did not give them clearance to enter Nepal via Belhiya of Bhairahawa.
According to Nepali customs officials, the vehicles were stranded in India after the employees at Indian Customs Office started taking hours to check a single vehicle on the pretext of security.
Chief at Bhairahawa Customs Office, Lavanya Dhakal, said the Indian border security force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) forced some fuel tankers, which had reached the Belhiya check point after clearing customs, to return.
According to him, the state has faced a loss of millions of rupees as the cargo vehicles were not allowed to enter Nepal.
Over 5,000 vehicles stopped at Indo-Nepal border in Sunauli
He informed that a total of 94 Nepal Oil Corporation tankers that are ferrying cooking gas and petroleum products from Baitalpur of India were not allowed to enter Nepal.
Meanwhile, around 20 vehicles, including four empty ones each laden with marbles and tiles, five with fruits and the others with fresh vegetables, entered Nepal today, according to Dhakal.
Earlier, around 350-400 vehicles used to enter Nepal from the customs point every day.
Nepal reels under fuel deficit as IOC stops supply Writes Anil Giri (girianil@gmail.com)
The ongoing violent protests in Nepal's southern plains opposing the new constitution -- promulgated on September 20 -- have taken a toll on Nepal-India relations as petroleum major Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has stopped fuel supplies to Nepal from its three depots.
IOC is the sole supplier of petroleum products to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) -- the sole distributor for these products in the Himalayan nation.
NOC on Friday said IOC refused to dispatch petroleum products from its Raxaul, Baitalpur and Siliguri depots, citing various reasons such as mechanical failure at the Baitalpur depot and orders from its headquarters to the Siliguri depot not to dispatch oil.
Friday was the second consecutive day that IOC sent no fresh supplies to NOC, it said.
Though the NOC claimed to be having enough fuel reserves, people were rushing to petrol pumps to fill their vehicles fearing an economic blockade.
KATHMANDU: Twenty three tankers transporting petroleum products to Nepal from India have been stopped at Raxual entry point since the last three days citing security reasons, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) spokesperson Dipak Baral said. Pic via nepalmountainnews
Nepal had witnessed a 16-month economic and trade embargo beginning March 1989 imposed by India when people felt the scarcity of essential products and fuel for which Nepal is dependent on India.
The IOC has communicated to its Nepali counterpart that it would not supply petroleum products until the Terai unrest in Nepali was settled at the political level.
At Raxaul, a small town in Bihar's East Champaran district located on the India-Nepal border, tankers were not allowed to park inside the IOC depot.
"As the tankers can not wait for long outside the depot due to traffic congestion, they are reluctant to transport fuel from Raxaul," an NOC official said.
NOC imports petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel from various Indian depots, including Barauni, Raxaul, Baitalpur, Karnal, Mathura, Haldia, Banthara, Gonda and Siliguri.
It imports Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) from Haldia, Barauni, Mathura and Panipat depots.
"Fifteen tankers were sent to the Siliguri refinery plant on Thursday. But the IOC refused to refill them citing 'orders' from its Mumbai-based head-office," said the NOC.
Of 30 fuel tankers sent to Baitalpur, only four received oil. "The Baitalpur depot has cited mechanical failure at its refinery." Likewise, out of 50 tankers sent to Raxaul, only three received fuel supplies.
According to the NOC, 62 tankers that were supposed to enter India on Thursday to import fuel were unable to go there due to a strike in Birgunj, a border town of Nepal.
Cadres of the Joint Madhesi Democratic Front (JMDF) -- spearheading the anti-constitution protests in the Nepal Terai -- have stationed themselves at the entry-exit points of the Nepal-India border to ensure that no truck movement takes place across the border.
"All the checkpoints have been blocked, supplies have been halted," said an official.
KATHMANDU, 17 Aug 2015: India and Nepal are set to sign an agreement for the construction of the much-touted cross border oil pipeline for supplying petroleum products to the land- locked Himalayan country, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae said in Kathmandu during the weekend.
Oil pipeline
Addressing an interaction programme organised by Reporters Club Nepal to mark the 69th Independence Day of India, Rae said that if the two countries worked together and exploit the natural resources at their disposal, economic prosperity and poverty alleviation can both be attained.
Indian government had on Wednesday approved signing of the agreement to lay an oil pipeline from Raxaul in Bihar to Amlekhgunj in Nepal to supply petrol, diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel and the re-engineering of Amlekhgunj Depot and allied facilities.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has agreed to foot the Rs 200 crore cost for constructing the 41-km pipeline, about 39 km of which would lie in Nepal, in exchange for Nepal committing to buy products for at least 15 years.
Nepal depends on India for meeting all of its fuel requirements.
Rae also underlined the need to implement a number of other agreements signed recently between the two countries, including Power Development Agreement and Infrastructure Development Agreement.
He said that Nepal needs to establish peace and stability for attaining economic prosperity and development, and India is ready to join hand with Nepal in its endeavours.
The Ambassador further said that India’s new government has adopted the policy of neighbourhood first, which is proven by the two visits paid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal, after assuming power last year.
The recent earthquakes in Nepal have brought the two neighbours even closer, he added.
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