GNLF Mann Ghisingh's controversal statement on cultural dress

2:15 PM

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Politics

Writes: Vivek Chhetri

The president of the Gorkha National Liberation Front in a press release today termed the traditional dress of the Nepali community as the the official dress of Nepal, eliciting criticism from all hill parties.

GNLF president Mann Ghisingh controversal statement on traditional dress of Daura Sural and Chowbandi Choli
-Photo of the press release via The Darjeeling Chronicle's

GNLF president Mann Ghisingh stated in the statement in Nepali: "The Darjeeling hills has failed to recognize its own land (that would have come through the inclusion of the area in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution). Everybody became fools not to understand the Gorkha's own land and the Gorkha Hill Council. They started going to Delhi and Calcutta wearing the official dress of Nepal."

Mann's statement did not explain who the "they" referred to.

Many hill leaders have worn the traditional daura sural and chowbandi choli to meet state-level and central leaders on many occasions. Few years ago, the Morcha had issued a diktat making it compulsory for hill people to wear the attire for a month. Following backlash, it had removed the mandatory tag on the order.

"After having scored two major political victories, on August 22 and August 23, 1988, a third major political victory had been achieved by signing the tripartite agreement on December 6, 2005, to form the Gorkha Hill Council, that would have carried the distinct identity of the Indian Gorkhas," the signed statement reads.

The new council under the Sixth Schedule was to be named Gorkha Hill Council.

On August 22, 1988, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council accord was signed and the next day, the Centre had issued a notification stating that all those living in India before 1950 were Indian citizens.

The GNLF is of the opinion that the citizenship issue of Gorkhas in India was clarified by the notification.

The GNLF's statement terming the traditional dress of daura sural and chowbandi choli as the official dress of Nepal has surprised others.

Binay Tamang, the assistant secretary of the Morcha said: "The dress is of our community and he (Mann Ghisingh) must clarify what we should wear now. Subash Ghisingh took our community behind by 25 years by indulging in controversies and now they are again taking our community behind by raking up unnecessary controversies."

Even ABGL and CPRM, allies of the GNLF in the newly-constituted Democratic Front, criticised the statement.

"This is not a correct statement. I hope the GNLF will ponder over the statement and rectify it," said Pratap Khati, general secretary of ABGL.

Govind Chhetri, spokesman of the CPRM, said: "The GNLF must retract and apologise for hurting the sentiments of the Indian Gorkhas."

Mann did not take calls today. Biren Lama, a central committee member of GNLF, said: "I don't think this is a controversial statement."

Towards the end of the press release, GNLF warns that the "Central and State Government will be responsible for any political instability in the future, and anything on toward happens in Darjeeling in the future."

Source: Telegraph

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Now GNLF to demand Gorkhaland statehood

8:16 AM

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Politics

Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) will now move from demanding 6th Scheduled to Gorkhaland statehood. This decision was taken at a high level meeting of GNLF central committee members.

Mann Ghising addressing a GNLF rally

According to sources GNLF was forced to re-raise the Gorkhaland demand after the Central and the state government failed to live upto their promise of inducting the GTA [earlier DGHC] region into Schedule VI area of the Indian constitution.

The meeting was chaired by Mann Ghising the son of Late. Subash Ghising and was attended by all the high ranking members of GNLF.

Source: TheDC

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Mohan Ghisingh officially took charge as the president of GNLF

8:46 AM

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Subash Ghising

Mohan Ghisingh, the younger son of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) founder Subash Ghisingh who died on January 29, on Monday took formal charge of office as the new party president by issuing his first press statement thanking everyone for extending their support in this hour of bereavement.

Mohan Ghisingh youngest son of Gorkha National
Liberation Front (GNLF) founder Subash Ghisingh 

Mann, who is erroneously called ‘Mohan’, was anointed the party president on January 30, the day after his father expired, by the GNLF central committee. However, he chose not to speak about his elevation saying it would be decided later, and this was announced today through a written statement issued to the media in Darjeeling.

The GNLF chief’s first statement, written in the party’s official letter-head, thanked supporters, people and business establishments for observing spontaneous bandhs on two days (January 31 and February 1) as a mark of respect for his father. The statement in Nepali also thanked regional and national parties for showing respect to his father by sending their representatives including Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling who personally went to Ghisingh’s house on Sunday morning to pay his last respects.

The new GNLF president’s first public statement is in stark contrast to the

zeal and enthusiasm shown by party supporters in Darjeeling who gave a political undertone to Ghisingh’s funeral procession. They chanted: “Sixth Schedule lai saath deu…GTA lai laat deu” (Support Sixth Schedule and

kick out GTA). “Pahar ko bhagya bigarnu paudaina…hamilai jhattai DGHC pharkai deu” (no one can ruin the future of the hills…reinstate the DGHC immediately). The slogans hardly concealed the fact that they were meant for the ruling Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which runs the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

However, senior GNLF leaders brushed aside any speculation that their new president had no political ambitions. “He (Mann) is yet to get over the loss of his father. Besides, the family is in mourning and special religious rituals will continue for some more days. Once the mourning period is over, we are sure he will be motivated politically,” said a senior GNLF leader from Darjeeling not wanting to be named.

The GNLF’s key demand is to revive the defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill

Council as it has constitutional guarantee until the Sixth Schedule status is granted to the Darjeeling hills. In 2001, Ghisingh had demanded the Centre to grant Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills. And in December 2005, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed between the state and central governments and the GNLF.

The Sixth Schedule bill was placed in Parliament in November 2007

by then Union home minister Shivraj Patil. However, it had to be referred to

the parliamentary standing committee after the GJM opposed the bill and started an agitation. The bill was eventually shelved in February 2008.

Source:EOI

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