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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BJP Darjeeling MP lures Gorkhas with schedule Tribe bait

8:40 PM

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tribal news

Darjeeling: BJP MP S.S. Ahluwalia has written to the Union tribal ministry pressing for inclusion of 11 Gorkha communities in the Schedule Tribal list, the move coinciding with the rural polls in the Bengal.

The letter written by Ahluwalia is dated April 25, 2018, but it was posted by Gorkha leader Roshan Giri on social media on Tuesday. The BJP had used the tribal card effectively in earlier elections.

The Darjeeling MP has justified his decision to write the letter now saying the term of the committee constituted by the Union tribal ministry to look into the demand ends in May this year.

"I request you to use your influence to take a decision on the 11 communities and direct constitutional amendment to include these communities in the ST list," Ahluwalia's letter to Jual Oram in Hindnd Himalachal Pradesh had already recommended the inclusion of the 11 Gorkha communities in the ST list.

The 11 communities demanding tribal status are Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunuwar, Thami, Yakka (Dewan) and Dhimal.

The demand has popular support among members of the 11 communities who constitutes nearly 50 percent of the Gorkha population.

Although the BJP has been dangling the tribal card before the Gorkhas, actual progress has been slow.

Even though Ahluwalia's letter states that the committee's tenure will end in May this year, observers are sceptical given past records. "The letter has surfaced in public domain when Bengal is going for rural polls. Gorkhas constitute a sizeable population in the Dooars. The timing raises eyebrows," said an observer.

Bengal, Sikkim and Himalachal Pradesh had already recommended the inclusion of the 11 Gorkha communities in the ST list

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11 जातिलाई जनजातिको दर्जा दिलाउन विनय तामाङ स्वयं दिल्ली जाने

7:48 PM

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schedule tribe

प्रतिविम्ब न्यूज
दार्जीलिङ 12 अप्रेल।

गोर्खा समुदायका 11 वटा जातिलाई जनजाति बनाउन जीटीए अध्यक्ष विनय तामाङ स्वयं दिल्ली जाने भएका छन्। गत केही दिनअघिदेखि नै तामाङले जनजातिको मुद्दाको निम्ति आफू दिल्ली जानुपरे पनि पछि नहट्ने कुरा गर्दै आइरहेका थिए भने आज जीटीएका सचिवालय लालकोठीमा उक्त मुद्दालाई लिएर आफू प्रतिवद्ध रहेको उल्लेख गर्दै यसको निम्ति आफू दिल्ली गएर सम्बन्धित विभागका अधिकारीहरूसितै मन्त्रीहरूसित पनि  भेटवार्ता गर्ने बताएका छन्।तथापि उनी कहिले दिल्ली प्रस्थान गर्ने हुन् भन्ने भने अहिले नै तय भएको छैन।

यसबाहेक जीटीए अध्यक्ष विनय तामाङले आज नै 11 वटा जातगोष्ठीलाई केन्द्रिय जनजातिको दर्जा प्रदान गर्ने माग गर्दै केन्द्रिय जनजाति मन्त्रालय अनि केन्द्रिय जनजाति मन्त्री जुअल ओरमलाई पत्राचार पनि गरेको छ। यसको साथसाथै आज नै तामाङले सिक्किमका मुख्यमन्त्री पवनकुमार चामलिङलाई पनि सोही विषयमा पदक्षेपको आह्वान गर्दै पत्राचार गरेका छन्।

गत 27 मार्चको दिन सिक्किमका मुख्यमन्त्री पवन कुमार चामलिङसित भएको बैठकको एउटा मूल मुद्दा नै 11 वटा जात-गोष्ठीलाई जनजातिको मर्यादा दिलाउनु रहेको थियो।जसमा सिक्किम सरकार अनि जीटीएले संयुक्तरूपमा यस विषयमा पहल गर्ने प्रस्ताव पारित गरिएको थियो।यसैबारे पुनः स्मरण गराउऩ अनि यस विषय़मा सयुंक्त पहल शुरू गर्न आज मुख्यमन्त्री पवन कुमार चामलिङलाई पत्र पठाइएको हो, पत्रकारहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै तामाङले भने।

11 वटा जातगोष्ठीलाई जनजातिको मान्यता प्रदान गर्न जीटीए प्रतिवद्ध रहेको उल्लेख गर्दै यस विषयमा 11 वटै जातगोष्ठीका छाता संगठनहरूसित पनि बारम्बार तालमेल राख्दै जीटीएले लगातार कार्य पनि गरिरहेको तामाङले बताए भने चाड़ै जनजातिको मुद्दा फत्ते हुनेछ भन्ने कुरामा आफू आशावादी रहेको पनि तामाङले जनाए।

यसबाहेक केन्द्रिय जनजातिको मुद्दाको निम्ति राज्य सरकारबाट केन्द्रलाई सिफारिश गर्दै पत्राचार गरिएकोमा उनले पश्चिम बगांल सरकार अनि मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीलाई विशेष आभार पनि व्यक्त गरे। मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जी दार्जीलिङ आगमन हुँदा हामीले उनलाई जनजातिको मुद्दाबारे अवगत गराएका थियौं।28 फरवरी 2014 मा नै पश्चिम बगांल विधानसभाले यस विषयमा प्रस्ताव पारित गरेर केन्द्र सरकारलाई पठाइसकिएको तथा भिशु मियानी कमिटीले यसको निम्ति आधिकारीक भ्रमणसमेत गरिसकेको मुख्यमन्त्रीले हामीलाई स्मरण गराएका थिए।यद्धपि यस विषयमा अहिलेसम्म कुनै प्रकारको ठोस पहल नभएको कुरा हामीले मुख्यमन्त्री ममता व्यानर्जीलाई जनाएका थियो।यसपछि मुख्यमन्त्री गत 16 फरवरीको दिन फेरि एउटा यादाश्त पत्र केन्द्रिय जनजाति मन्त्री जुअल ओरमलाई पठाएका छन्।यसको निम्ति सम्पूर्ण गोर्खा जातिको पक्षमा हामी मुख्यमन्त्रीलाई उक्त पहलको निम्ति आभार व्यक्त गर्दछौं, तामाङले भने।

फोटोः पत्रकारहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै विनय तामाङ।

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RTI on committee for tribal status to 11 Gorkha communities

9:29 AM

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schedule tribe

RTI glare on tribal status committee

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, Sept. 11: The GNLF today presented an RTI reply which stated that a committee formed by the Centre to examine the demand of granting tribal status to 11 hill communities that was formed in April had not yet sat for a single meeting.

The RTI further states that Ashok Pai, who was to head the committee, formed by the ministry of tribal affairs, has been transferred to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

The ministry of tribal affairs had on April 2 announced the formation of a committee headed by Pai, joint secretary in the tribal affairs department, to examine and recommend the granting of ST status to Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunuwar, Thami, Yakka (Dewan) and Dhimal communities in "Sikkim and other Gorkha dominated states and areas".

The committee was to submit its report to the tribal affairs department within "three months".

The RTI reply to Neeraj Zimba Tamang, legal advisor to the GNLF, stated: "No meeting of the Pai committee has been held till now, since chairman, Shri Ashok Pai has been transferred to National Commission for Schedule Tribes. The Ministry is not aware of further developments in this regard."

The reply is dated August 29 and has been issued by Jossy Joseph, section officer and CPIO of ministry tribal affairs.

Zimba had on August 5 sought answers on the status of Pai Committee, the work it is currently doing, whether the panel had made any field investigations, visits, and whether the report has been submitted to tribal affairs department etc.

Copy of  RTI on Tribal status to 11 Gorkha Communities.

Copy of  RTI on Tribal status to 11 Gorkha Communities. II

The announcement of the formation of the panel just when the Bengal Assembly election was round the corner had come as a major boost for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

When told about the RTI reply to GNLF, Morcha leader Binay Tamang, said over the phone from Delhi: "It is a fact that a committee has been formed. As far as we know, the committee is to get information from the principal secretaries of backward classes of various states and then sit for a meeting. Transfer of officials is an administrative matter, which the government has to look into. We are in Delhi and will find out the details."

Via Telegraph

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Centre to accord tribal status to the Gorkhas - Tribal Minister

5:45 PM

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West Bengal

The Centre is eager to accord tribal status to the 11 Gorkha communities, but some technical problems are holding it back for now, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said in Kalimpong on Sunday. “The central government is pursuing the demand for tribal status for 11 Gorkha communities with all sincerity. But, we have to follow the established norms and procedures to get over some technical problems,” Oram told reporters in this hill town.

“All the 11 Gorkha communities seeking tribal status are living in almost all states of the country. For that, the tribal department needs to take inputs from the states concerned and consult other departments involved. That is why the issue is pending,” he said.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister said the West Bengal and Sikkim governments had already issued recommendation for these communities. (Source: File Photo)

“I want all Gorkhas to know that the Prime Minister has already promised that the status will be accorded, so there is no room for doubt. People should not worry unnecessarily,” the minister said. To a question, he said the West Bengal and Sikkim governments had already issued recommendation for these communities.

Via indianexpress

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गोर्खा फाउनडेशनले केन्द्रिय जनजाती एंव अदिबाशी मन्त्री जोयल ओरमलाई चडाए बिन्ती पत्र

3:10 PM

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tribal news

अस्ती शनिबार दिनाँक ९ तारिकको दिन गोर्खा फाउनडेशनका प्रतिनिधिहरुले मानननिय केन्द्रिय जनजाती मन्त्री श्रीमान जोयल उराँव सित वहाँको बासस्थानमा भेट गरेर गोर्खाहरुको बिभिन्न माँगहरुले लिएर एउटा ज्ञापन सुम्पे। यस् ज्ञापन पत्र बिशेष गरेर ४ सुत्रिय माँग गरिएको थियो। प्रथम, गोर्खाहरुको एउटा सपना गोर्खाल्यान्डको निम्ती यहाँको समर्थन ग्रुप अफ मिनिस्टरको सभामा समर्थन गर्दै जोड तोडले कुरा उठाइ दिनु, वहाँले भन्नु भयो म यस्मा पुरा समर्थन गर्दै कुरा उठाउने छु। दोस्रो माँगमा, भारतिय गोर्खाहरुले गरीरहेको लम्बित माँग गोर्खाहरुको समुदायको ११ जातीलाई जनजातीको माँग चाँडो भन्दा चाँडो मान्यता दिया जावोस। स्मरण रहोस् यस् माँग सित बिभिन्न संगठनहरुले गरेको आर टि आइको कपी एँव सिक्किम सरकारको माँगमा केन्द्रिय सरकारको जवाबको कपी पनि मन्त्री महोदयलाई सुम्पे को थियो, अनी यसै सन्दर्भमा ११ जातीको मुद्दा मन्त्री महोदयसित ब्रितान्तरुपमा चर्चा गरिएको थियो अनी आँउदो सन्सदको सत्रमा यो पारीत होस् भनी गोर्खा फाउनडेशनको प्रतिनिधिहरुले अनुरोध गरे साथै वहाँले भन्नु भयो यो माँग चाडैनै पुरा गरिने छ। तेस्रो माँगमा केन्द्रिय जनजाती मन्त्रालयको बन बन्धु कल्यान योजना अन्तर्गत गोर्खा बाहुल्य क्षेत्र एँव जनजाती बहुल्य क्षेत्रमा घरहरुको निर्माण चाडैनै पुरा गरियोस।

अनी चौथो माँगमा एकलब्य मोडेल रेसीडेन्टल स्कुल योजना अन्तर्गत गोर्खा बाहुल्य क्षेत्र एँव जनजाती बहुल्य क्षेत्रमा स्कुलहरुको निर्माण चाडैनै पुरा गरियोस, यसमा यो माँग चाडैनै पुरा गरिने छ भनेर वहाँले भन्नु भयो। अन्तमा मन्त्री महोदयलाई जनजाती मन्त्रालयको सबै सुनीयोजित कार्य एव कार्यक्रम सठिक रुपमा लागु भएको छ कि छैन साथै कार्य पुरा भएको छ कि छैन भनेर यस्को जाँचको देखरेख गर्नको निम्ती समाज र मन्त्रलाय बाट सयुक्त समितीको गठन हुनु पर्छ भन्दा वहाँले, यस् माथि तुरन्त पहल गर्ने आसवासन दिनु भयो। आजको यस् सभा अतीनै सकारात्मक थियो। आजको प्रतिनिधि टोलीमा श्रीमती किरण सेवा, अरुण दास, बिनोद घले, निरज रावत, रुस्तम छेत्री, डि० के० प्रधान, लोप्सँग लामा, एन्ड्रु गुरुङ, सघन मोक्तान आदी उपस्थित थिए।
सघन मोक्तान
अध्य्क्ष
गोर्खा फाउनडेशन
नयाँ दिल्ली

Via  Gorkha Foundation

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Reaction against BGP's clarification on meeting with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh

10:48 PM

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schedule tribe

Following are the various Reaction against Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) official clarification via social media on meeting with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh.

Dinesh Sharma Youth Leader writes in response to BGP Not surprising to see ‘desperate’ BGP putting up its antics again. This elite bunch of intellectuals are masters of press releases sitting inside their AC chambers in Delhi and Darjeeling. Here are some incidents I can recall.

Manipur - Their intellectuals almost got the Gorkhas of Manipur in a dangerous situation when they declared cut-off dates for Manipur Gorkha during the ILP agitation. Later, when asked, they had no answers and blamed it on their state executives. But the press release bears the name of their leader in Delhi and Darjeeling, and not from Manipur. How ironical? And mind you, they never apologized for such a huge mistake, perhaps it was beneath their dignity to apologize to the common man.

Assam: A leader of this premium organization goes to Assam and says Assam should be called Bodolond instead, and that he would pray to be born as a Bodo. After being warned by AAGSU, they went back to their ‘dens’ without an apology again.

Delhi: Not a person or representative of this ELITE group is seen during any emergency situation in the capital region. A leader calls for a clarification meeting on why they were not present. An emergency situation does not need clarification, it needs concern.

Darjeeling – Nobody gives them a damn anymore there after their fickle political stand agenda.

Across India – Now, this attempt to derail the ST demand and push forward their agenda for OBC is anti-community. While they are so concerned about Gorkhas across India, it is disheartening to see that Mizoram, where the organization was initiated, still don’t have Gorkha community in OBC list. Still no apology.
So the natural question is, where are you heading next?

Reaction against BGP clarification on meeting with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh

Jyoti Thapa - Author, Graphic Designer and Historian writes back to Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Official in response to their clarification note regarding the meeting they had with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh:

"In Delhi, there are many 'Gorkha' Organisations of various names and members who meet ministers projecting themselves as the representatives of the Gorkhas and 'Here Kind Sir, are our grievances and memorandum'. They represent you and me but I don't know them neither do you and most of all nobody has checked with me. The BGP's rebuttal letter is smoking with someone's seething anger. It writes of the questioning people as having 'erroneous and mischievous views ...erroneous, malicious and ill-conceived. ...individual fantasies and biased opinions...'. Why such accusations? The Gorkhas are a bunch of idiotic devils or what who know not what they do???? Every Gorkha is sensitive and as a race we are known to be hyper-sensitive. I am sure you meant well in your endeavour but the Gorkhas want an explanation...the simpler the better. The NE Gorkhas are no walk over and I see them as the strongest forces of the Gorkha community in the future".

Upendra - An Intellect writes back to Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Official in response to their clarification note regarding the meeting they had with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh:
This BGP cliarification is nothing but CYA (cover your ass)... their objectives may see, noble and honest, their intentions are suspect... Why are they meeting Central Ministers and demanding OBC status for Gorkhas at a time qhen the Central Govt has constituted a committee to examine ST status for all? Why NOW? Whose interest are they serving in assuming that the Central Govt move won't be welcome everywhere? Shouldn't they have waited till the Central Govt panel submitted their report?
BGP office bearers suffer from the foot in the mouth disease... they have earlier demanded, out of the blue, that 1971 census be taken into consideration while deciding Inner Line Permit qualifications for Manipur, thus jeopardizing the Gorkhalis living in Maniojr majority of whom were not allowd to register for voting/census etc till very recently. When questioned to clarify why they chose 1971 as cut off date, Mr. Munish Tamang who seems to know all the constitutional processes refused to anser, clarify or apologize.

Later same "all knowing" BGP "intellectuals" threatened the safety and security of Gorkhas in Assam by declaring in an eledtion rallh that all of Assam should be called Bodoland... such was the negativity associated with their irresponsible statement, that the All Assam Gorkha Students Union has told BGP "intellectuals" not to come to Assam and open their "all knowing" mouths in the future.
In BGP meeting various central Ministers and dmeqnding OBC instead of ST status for the Gorkhas, they are watering down our stand even before the process has begun, and their releasing of the statement reeking of "intellectual superiority" - that only we k ow rest don't, is the reason why BGP needs to either be disbanded or they should apologize to the greater Gorkhali community for working against the interest of the community.

Moreover, these predominantly around 50 year old male don't represent the Gorkha reality, nor does it represent the Gorkha aspirations, so a request to BGP please do not claim yourselves to be representative of all the Gorkhas - which you guys are not... as your representing yourself as such can influence Govt policies negatively...

Ranjana Pradhan Rai - An Educationist writes back to Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Official in response to their clarification note regarding the meeting they had with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh:

1. The domicile needs to be proven to claim the benefits of ST/ SC/ OBC status anyways whether at Centre/ State/ other levels.
2. Read between the lines: When you are an Indian Gorkha residing/ permanently settled in any of the States as per the Indian Constitution, All citizens have the Freedom to movement & Settlement within the Indian Jurisdiction. A citizen cannot claim benefits from multiple domicile status in a Social Strata.
3. The above point explains a Citizens Right to Claim benefits in multiple states compared to a Job Application in Union/ State government service where your ST/ SC/ OBC is claimed anyways as per domicile certificate. If any State government does mot recognize the Reservation Right, it can be rectified rather than leading to events impacting the Community at Large for personal interests. I myself have appeared for UPSE/ State Services Exams on General quota.
4. Will the ST/ SC status given to Indian Gorkhas be applicable to Gorkhas in other domicile states? Obviously, sort it out.
5. a. Is BGP a political party?
b. How is it Constituted as representative association?
c. Without our consent concerning Indian Gorkhas, how can BGP represent a political dialogue to fulfill it's ambition?
6. Indian Gorkha Citizens and Gorkha Associations are not living a Sissy Fantacy BGP. They are living in Blood & Slaughter!
7. Why BGP never published the points of Agenda for discussion and deliberation prior to their political dialogues with a Minister, that too concerning Indian Gorkhas of other States?
8. Forming mere associations does not lend you the right to claim decision making process for the Gorkhas.
9. If you were righteous, liaison with other Gorkha Association would have deliberation & strengthened a Collective Agenda including the point of domicile Rights on Reservation.
10. We don't know you as our leaders BGP. Even as Parisangh/ Council, you cannot work in isolation claiming leadership on our Community!
*******************

In high spirits I wrote these lines first time in Nepali,
Abo Chai Aayo Gorkhali!

(Pardon me for spelling mistakes please, those who can understand)
आबो चै आयो गोर्खाली।
याद गरौं आज द्वितीय विश्वयुद्ध को प्रहर मा बोस ले कसरी भारत को स्वतंत्रता संग्राम उद्देश्य लिएर हिटलर अथवा मुस्सलिनी संग साठ-गाठ गरी जापानी मिलिट्री को मदद ले नार्थईस्ट बाट भारत माँ धावा बोलेको थियो।
सम्भालिने समय आबो आयो साथी-भाई दीदी-बहिनी हरु,
हाम्रो बिबस्ता लाई लाचारी को चोगा न बनाऊँ,
हाम्रो सरल-विनम्रता को आचरण ले उन्नति को डोको भरौं।
कसरी निद्रा पुरौने? यो बिचार धारा बगी रहेछ त्यो निद्रा को सिरानो मा,
उच्चकोटि को व्यक्तित्व को खोज मा चली रहे छ यो यात्रा असफल,
आई दिनोस सबै जनसमृद्ध एक स्वर सादि दिउँ यो मधुर रचना को पहल मा,
यो हाथ बटाउँ नाता पनी थियो भनेर।
आखिर यो माटो नै त हो हामी?
आकृति कसको लिने भने त्यों रचना खोझुं-बोझों।
म् त कस्तूरी को खोज समझी रहे थे आज सम्म,
यो चमेली को गंध ले सन्तोष न पाउने छन्।
- रंजन प्रधान राई।

Prem Chhetri, Advocate in Supreme Court writes back to Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Official in response to their clarification note regarding the meeting they had with DoNER minister Dr Jitendra Singh:-
Hon'ble President BGP,
The reply show itself that you are trying to explain Gorkhas that BGP is only representative of Gorkhas and only BGP know about Law and other Gorkhas are ignorant...
Let's talk point to point
1. If List of ST is State/UT specific them why your body meet with Central Minister and not with State Chief Minister for such demand.
2. UT is governed by President with consultation of UNION hence don't say this is State/UT specific.
3. Whether BGP know that President may with respect to any State or UT by public notification specify the Tribes and tribal community. And Parliament by law include and exclude from list of ST specified in notification issued any tribe or tribal community as part of group.
4. BGP should know that it is Union Cabinet chaired by PM gives approval for introduction of Bill in order to modify list of ST in respect to state or UT so don't give wrong interpretation that ST is State/UT specific.
5. Recently Union cabinet introduced Bill to amend Constitution (SC ) Order 1950 and passed by Both house RS on 24.02.2016 to introduce certain community in list.
6. It is correct that one declared ST in state need not to be in another State/UT because of their inhabitance however that list of State/UT is prepare by Union under Article 342 of Constitution of India. Moreover List of ST passed by Union get benefits in all Centre Govt. Job, Schemes, Appointment, post etc.
7. Article 335 talks about reservation in matter of appointment post with affairs of Union which includes UPSC, EC, CAG, ETC.
8. Under article 338 President of India appoint special officer for welfare of SC and ST
9. Under Article 338A, National Commission for SC and ST established to look welfare of SC and ST in entire Nation.
10. Under Article 350A, President may issue such directions to any state for securing facility to ST.
11. BGP must know that Central Govt. drafted National Policy in 1999 regarding issue and welfare of ST in entire Nation and thereafter Union Gov't. established Ministry of Tribal Affairs for development of ST.
13. It is Union Gov't. who has power to include and exclude certain community in ST list hence don't fool us by saying it is State/UT specific. State/UT has no independent power to include and exclude list of ST.
14. BGP ingnores constitutional provisions and don't say others ignores it.
15. Take classic examples....Mina community belongs to Rajasthan is declared ST by Union Gov't. and thereafter they are getting all privileges in all Union Gov't. Job, appointment. Even Delhi Police gives reservations in ST. Even there is reservations in DDA scheme.
So don't fool us that demand is for only State and does not give privileges to others.
16. SC/ ST is always SC/ST whether HE is residing in One state or other. Have you ever heard that particular SC/ST has been denied privileges because he belongs to other state.
17. BGP should introspect and come out will clear vision. And act for the community at ground level.
18. Under article 342 it is Parliament passed Bill for inclusion or exclusion of ST in list hence State has no role to play. State can best recommend their list. That's why PM Modi declare to grant ST status to Gorkha and he already initiated for it. So whether State want or not, it is Parliament who has right to include Gorkha in ST list.
19. Those who are demanding OBC status are blackship to Gorkha Community. They deserves to social boycott. They are not our Representative.
20. BGP must know that status of OBC is different from place to place as per their status in said society/State hence it is foolish to compare status of OBC with ST.
21. BGP betrayed us demanding OBC status to Gorkhas with Hon'ble Minister Jitender Singh while Union Govt considering to give ST status to all Gorkhas.
22. Who is Parishang to demand different status to Gorkha residing in different status. By doing this, BGP is dividing all Gorkha into different groups which is clearly demonstrated in their clarification no. 4.
23. Is this hidden agenda of GBP to divide all Gorkha into different Groups.
24. Is this hidden agenda of BGP divide our voices in different groups.
25. Does not this divide policy will hamper demand of Gorkhaland.


Via GYASA

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Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh's letter to Jual Oram Minister for Tribal Affairs

5:54 PM

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schedule tribe

Shri Jual Oram
Hon’ble Minister for Tribal Affairs
Government of India
New Delhi

Tribal Status for categories within Gorkha/Nepali-speaking community

Respected Sir
Some tribes belonging to the Gorkha/Nepali community have already been granted Scheduled Tribe status. These include Kagatay, Yolmo, Sherpa, Lepcha, Tamang and Limbu tribes. Similarly, the government has recognized Kami, Damai and Sarki communities of the Gorkhas as Scheduled Castes.

There are many other categories within the Gorkha community. We request you to kindly take up the case of including all of them under the status of Scheduled Tribe or Scheduled Caste, as the case may be. We also request you to include these, as well as the already recognized ST/SC communities in various states of India, under the Central list of such categories.

We would like to respectfully reiterate here that the Nepali-speaking Gorkha community consists of ethnicities that are tribal by nature and have their own unique tribal languages, dialects, culture, traditions and history.

We hope, Sir, that you will take up the cause of the ethnic communities within the Gorkhas who have not been granted ST/SC status as soon as possible and help them access development measures that they desperate need to progress as a community.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully

Sukhman Moktan
President, Bhartiya Gorkha Parisangh

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Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh statement on meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh

5:35 PM

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schedule tribe

STATEMENT OF THE BHARATIYA GORKHA PARISANGH REGARDING THE MEETING IT HAD WITH DONER MINISTER DR JITENDRA SINGH

With reference to the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh’s meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Development of Northeast Region (DONER), and the reports on the meeting as carried by various national newspapers, including The Hindustan Times of News Delhi, The Hindu of Chennai and The Tribune of Chandigarh, certain erroneous and mischievous views are being circulated regarding the objectives of the Parisangh’s meeting. We are clarifying some points here.

1. The granting of Schedule Tribe status is state-specific. (According to the Union Tribal Ministry website: “The list of Scheduled Tribes is State/UT specific and a community declared as a Scheduled Tribe in a State need not be so in another State/UT.” http://tribal.nic.in/Con.../IntroductionScheduledTribes.aspx )

Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh logo

This clearly means that the demand for ST status in by the Sikkim Chief Minister and by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will pertain only to Gorkhas in Sikkim and West Bengal, and will not automatically extend to Gorkhas living in other states of India. Therefore, to infer that Parisangh’s meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh jeopardizes the move to have ST status for Gorkhas across India ignores these constitutional provisions and is based on ill understanding of such provisions. Any suggestion that Parisangh is being used to throw a spanner in the demands arising out of Sikkim and Darjeeling is erroneous, malicious and ill-conceived.

2. The demand for OBC status for Gorkhas in the Northeast is entirely in the context of the Parisangh’s meeting with the DONER minister and not any other Union ministry. When ST status for Gorkhas in Northeast states was broached to the minister, Dr Jitendra Singh said there were pending issues about OBC status for Gorkhas in these states. The Parisangh said that the demand for OBC was an old one, and it wanted ST status for Gorkhas there. However, since the issues discussed pertained only to Gorkhas in the Northeast and not to Gorkhas in general across India, the Parisangh told the minister that it knew that because the entire Northeast region was a complex interplay of tribal affiliations, various state governments and the policymakers of the Northeast were reluctant to accord TRIBAL STATUS to Gorkhas. An example is Mizoram, where the Home Department has suggest OBC status for the Gorkhas, but the state cabinet has been reluctant to accord even OBC status, deciding instead to hold a new census of Gorkhas in the state. Since ST status may not be forthcoming for some time, the best alternative for Gorkhas to derive policy benefits in the region is through recognition as OBC.

3. Even OBC status is state-specific. Gorkhas, for instance, are OBCs in Uttarakhand but their OBC status does not confer similar status to Gorkhas in other Indian States nor to all Gorkhas at the Central level. The Parisangh, in its meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh, requested that he use his influence to have the Central Government extend the OBC status, in addition to ST/SC, given to Gorkhas in certain Northeast and other Indian states to the Central level, so that Gorkhas can still derive economic and development benefits of the Central Government.

4. The letter of the Parisangh, attached with this statement, to Union Tribal Welfare Minister Jual Oram clearly proves that the only pan-India social organization of the Gorkhas wants Scheduled Tribe status for all categories of Gorkhas across India. In fact, a resolution passed in the 3rd Mahaadhiveshan of the Parisangh in 2012 called for the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh to contact the authorities to confer special category statuses, including Schedule Tribes, Schedule Caste and OBC, wherever best applicable so that the Gorkhas are not left out of the development processes of the various states in which they are resident. The Parisangh is committed to ensuring that Gorkhas across India has access to whatever benefits the Constitution can accord under various provisions, whether they by ST, SC, OBC or other social categorizations.

5. It is a journalistic practice to contact the person/persons/organization about whom the journalist is writing something. When office bearers are unavailable to clarify points that may seem inadequate, the article normally mentions the fact that no one answered the journalist’s queries. It is, therefore, against journalistic practices to assume and infer malicious motives without having tried to ascertain the facts from the organization named. No one bothered to contact the Parisangh office bearers to seek their clarification, so the Parisangh rejects such articles as individual fantasies and biased opinions.

Sukhman Moktan
President, Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh.

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Who is Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh Batting For? Why are they demanding OBC status for Gorkhas?

12:19 PM

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The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) which claims to be the "apex body of Gorkhas in India" seems to be trying to undo all the good work done by the Govt of Sikkim and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) who have pushed for all the Gorkhas to be recognized as Scheduled Tribes.

In a meeting with the DoNER Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, they have demanded once again that Gorkhas be included under OBC and not ST. Here is a report from the national daily The Hindu [details: http://bit.ly/1OkhO5n]

"The Gorkhas have urged the central government to give “Other Backward Class” status to the community, an official statement said on Sunday. A delegation of the community leaders and members from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Uttarakhand made the demand when they met union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and PMO Jitendra Singh here on Saturday.

BGP delegation to MoS DoNER

According to the release here, the minister gave a patient hearing to the delegation led by Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha president S.M. Moktan. The Parisangha is a national organisation of Gorkhas in the country, the release said. Prominent among the delegationwere V.B. Thupu from Uttar Pradesh, D.C. Poudiyal and P.P. Pradhan from West Bengal, Guman Bhoj Limbo from New Delhi, Jagannath Koirala from Meghalaya and Bhupendra Adhikari from Uttarakhand." This is the 2nd time that BGP has sent representation to Union Ministers, earlier it was to MoS Home Kiren Rijju demanding OBC status for Gorkhas.

Currently the Central Govt has formed a committee to examine the inclusion of all the Gorkha communities as ST, where as BGP is repeatedly pushing for OBC status, thus we wonder whose interest is BGP serving?

Are they getting funded by anti-Gorkha political parties to push for such an absurd demand during such a critical time?


Via GYASA

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TMC, GJM war over ST status demand - All you need to know

11:34 AM

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tribal news

Darjeeling 3 Jun 2016 Fresh from their victories in the just concluded state Assembly election, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the hill Trinamool Congress has embarked on a war of words over the issue of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the 11 communities of the hills.

The hill TMC organised a victory celebration and a public meeting in Darjeeling where its leaders accused the GJM of hoodwinking the people over the issue by claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi had endorsed its demand. Sardha Subba, the Darjeeling TMC candidate for the Assembly election and the hill Trinamool Mahila Congress president, said that according to a Press Information Bureau report released on Thursday, the Union Cabinet chaired by Modi on May 25 approved of the introduction of two Bills relating to the issue of granting tribal status to various communities in five states. According to the PBI report, the Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to the amendments in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Tripura and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Hill communities  seeking  ST status - a file photo

“The GJM claims the matter has been taken up by the PM himself and it is in the implementation stages. But the PBI report clearly shows that even though five states and a Union territory are mentioned, the demand from Darjeeling has been left out. This shows the GJM is playing with the sentiments of the people and fooling them for political interests,” said Subba today in the public meeting. The Prime Minister, campaigning in May for north Bengal BJP candidates in Siliguri, said the process of granting tribal status to the 11 communities had already been initiated and that a committee already been formed to look into the matter. The GJM wants the 11 communities to be brought under the ST list.

The communities from the hills are Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami and Yakha Dewan, and the Dhimal from the Dooars. Meanwhile, the GJM disagreed saying the Union Cabinet’s approval to place two Bills for the five states as reported by the PBI and its demand were in different stages. “She (Subba) is not aware of this. Committees were formed in 2013 for the five states and the UT, and based on the recommendations of those states, relevant Bills have been placed before the Cabinet. However, in our case, a committee was formed only this year, hence it did not find mention,” countered Binay Tamang, the GJM assistant secretary.

All the same, he expressed happiness that the Cabinet had approved the introduction of two Bills for amendment, saying this would set a precedent. “When the Bills get amended, they will become the basis to facilitate the Centre to take up our case,” Tamang said. The GJM leader furnished an order issued on April 2 by deputy secretary of the Union tribal ministry Roopak Chaudhuri to the chief secretaries of all states, excluding Haryana and Punjab. The order states the tribal ministry has decided to constitute a committee headed by Ashok Pai, joint secretary, Union ministry of tribal affairs, to examine and recommend granting of ST status to 11 communities living in Sikkim and other Gorkha dominated states and areas.

As per the order, the committee will have to consult with the Sikkim government and the states with significant Gorkha populations and submit its report to the tribal affairs ministry within three months.


Via EOI

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Central committee formed to look into the demand for ST status to 11 hill communities - GJM

11:15 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 3: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today advised Trinamul women chief in the hills, Sharda Subba Rai, to consult her party leadership before making statements on granting tribal status to 11 communities.

"The statement issued by Sharda Subba Rai, the Trinamul candidate who lost the recent Assembly election from Darjeeling, clearly suggests that she is unaware of the developments over the tribal status issue. It is also very clear that she has not consulted senior Trinamul leaders and we suggest that she be clear on an issue that is as important as granting tribal status before making any comments," said Binay Tamang, assistant general secretary of the Morcha.

The Morcha was reacting to Subba's charges that the hill party and its ally at the Centre, the BJP, were not sincere on the tribal issue.

Central committee formed to look into the demand for ST status to 11 hill communities

"On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for the introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry," Sharda Subba said had said.

Five communities from Chattisgarh, two each from Assam, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu and one each from Tripura and Puducherry have been identified, the Trinamul leader had said.

"The Morcha is an ally of the BJP but there was no mention of a single community from the hills. This clearly proves that both the Morcha and the BJP are not sincere about the demand and are only using it as an election plank as municipal polls are due this year and GTA elections next year," Sharda Subba had said.

Tamang today said: "On April 2, the Centre formed a committee to look into the demand of granting ST status to 11 communities. Whereas in the case of the committees that were recommended on May 25, such a committee had been formed in 2013. It is after the report of the 2013 committee that the Centre is now preparing to place a bill in Parliament. Our case is different as the committee has only been formed now, that too because of our incessant pressure, and we are confident that the recommendation from this committee will be favourable for us," said Tamang.

"The developments clearly suggest that Sharda Subba Rai is confused on the issue," said Tamang.


Via Telegraph

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GJM & BJP bluffing on Scheduled Tribe and land rights issues alleges TMC

9:03 AM

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Trinamool Congress

On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry but there was not a mention of a single community from the hills.

Writes Vivek Chhetri 

Darjeeling, June 2: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today brought out a rally to press for the inclusion of 11 communities in the Scheduled Tribe list but Trinamul quickly alleged that the Morcha, along with the BJP, was playing with the sentiments of hill people.

The prompt response of Trinamul suggests the tribal-status issue, along with granting of land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantations inhabitants, is likely to take centre stage for some time now.

The rally, organised by the Yuva Morcha, started from the Darjeeling Motor Stand and culminated at a street corner meeting at Chowrasta in Darjeeling today.

Priyabardhan Rai, the Yuva Morcha general secretary, said: "We demand that the 11 communities must be granted tribal status as early as possible. We are planning to hold similar rallies in other parts of the hills soon."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung during the
BJP election campaign rally at Birpara on April 7, 2016 in Dooar

But within two hours of the rally, Sharda Subba Rai, who was the Darjeeling Trinamul candidate in the recently concluded Assembly election and a senior party leader, called a news conference and slammed the Morcha and the BJP.

"On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry," Sharda Subba said.

Two communities from Assam, five from Chattisgarh, two from Jharkhand, two from Tamil Nadu and one each from Tripura and Puducherry have been identified, the Trinamul leader said.

"The Morcha is an ally of the BJP but there was not a mention of a single community from the hills. This clearly proves that both the Morcha and the BJP are not sincere about the demand and are only using it as an election plan as municipal polls are due this year and GTA elections next year," Sharda Subba said.

"While the people are being asked to come out to participate in rallies, serious work is not being done by the leaders of both the parties," she said.

On April 2, when the model code of conduct was already in place in Bengal, the ministry of tribal affairs had issued an order constituting a committee to examine and recommend on the demand of granting tribal status to various Gorkha communities "living in Sikkim and other Gorkha dominated states and areas."

Roopak Chaudhuri, deputy secretary, Union ministry for tribal affairs, in the order had stated: "It has been decided to constitute a committee headed by Shri Ashok Pal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, to examine and recommend regarding granting of Scheduled Tribe Status to eleven communities, namely Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakkha (Dewan) and Dhimal living in Sikkim and other Gorkha-dominated states and areas."

The committee is to submit its recommendation on the matter to the ministry of tribal affairs within three months.

D.K. Pradhan, convener of the Morcha's Study Forum, said: "She has got confused with the two developments. She needs to understand the issue properly and we appeal that an issue of this importance should not be politicised. We will issue a detailed reaction after going through her statement tomorrow."


Via Telegraph

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GJM rally for Scheduled Tribe status to 11 communities in ‪Mirik‬

11:20 PM

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schedule tribe

Writes - YOWAN GURUNG

The youth wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today called a mass rally to push for the demand of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the 11 communities of the Darjeeling hills and the plains of Siliguri.The rally was called upon by Mirik Subdivision GJYM President Yogesh Golay and other party cadres.

The Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha (GJYM) rally started from the Bypess more from eleven in the morning and ended at Receipt Centre Krishnanagar and everyone has been asked to support the demand. The GJM has been demanding tribal status for 10 communities from the hills and one from the Dooars area. The communities from the hills are Bhujel,Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakha (Dewan) and the plains community is the Dhimal.

The Morcha got a boost to its demand after Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed it during an election campaign for party candidates in the north Bengal region recently. Earlier this year a committee was also formed by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to examine and make recommendations.

Rally for Scheduled Tribe status to 11 communities in ‪Mirik‬

“The PM, Narendra Modi, has given a positive response to our demand. A committee has also been formed by the central government. It must be remembered that we are demanding for ST status and therefore, we must take proactive steps to pursue the issue,” said Arun Sigchi, Soureni Sabhasad, today.

The state government too had recommended the inclusion of the 10 hill communities under the tribal status category. At present, the Bhutia, Sherpa, Yolmo, Lepcha and Tamang come under the Scheduled Tribe status. The Bharatiya Gorkha Janjati Sangarsha Mahasangh (BGJSM), an umbrella organisation of the communities demanding tribal status, too has been pursuing the issue with the central government. After the Centre’s initial nod to look into the issue, the Mahasangh has started a mass signature campaign to garner support and make people aware of the demand.

“We Gorkhas have faulted on many occasions with our various demands because of disunity. But the time has come to work together and take forward this demand to its end,” said Arun Ghising, the Thurbu Duptin Samasty Sabhasad .The speakers during the programme were GTA Sabhasads Arun Sigchi,Arun Ghising, Phubu Rai,Mirik Municipality Chairperson Mala Subba,Ladup Ghising and Sunil Ragubangshi in host.


Via VOM

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GJM youth wing to push for Scheduled Tribe status demand

10:16 AM

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tribal news

Darjeeling 29 May 2016 The youth wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today said it will hold a mass rally on June 2 to push for the demand of granting Scheduled Tribe status to the 11 communities of the hills and the plains of Siliguri.

The Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha (GJYM) rally will start from the Motor Stand area from eleven in the morning and end at Chowrastha and everyone has been asked to support the demand. The GJM has been demanding tribal status for 10 communities from the hills and one from the Dooars area. The communities from the hills are Bhujel,

Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakha (Dewan) and the plains community is the Dhimal.

The Morcha got a boost to its demand after Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed it during an election campaign for party candidates in the north Bengal region recently. Earlier this year a committee was also formed by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to examine and make recommendations.

Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha (GJYM) - A File Photo 

“The PM has given a positive response to our demand. A committee has also been formed by the central government. It must be remembered that we are demanding for ST status and therefore, we must take proactive steps to pursue the issue,” said Sanjeev Lama, the GJYM general secretary, today.

The state government too had recommended the inclusion of the 10 hill communities under the tribal status category. At present, the Bhutia, Sherpa, Yolmo, Lepcha and Tamang come under the Scheduled Tribe status. The Bharatiya Gorkha Janjati Sangarsha Mahasangh (BGJSM), an umbrella organisation of the communities demanding tribal status, too has been pursuing the issue with the central government. After the Centre’s initial nod to look into the issue, the Mahasangh has started a mass signature campaign to garner support and make people aware of the demand.

“We Gorkhas have faulted on many occasions with our various demands because of disunity. But the time has come to work together and take forward this demand to its end,” said Amrit Yonzon, the youth front’s spokesperson.

(EOIC)

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GJM and JAP on agitation path to protect their support base

8:31 AM

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tribal news

Writes Vivek Chhetri and Rajeev Ravidas

May 30: After a bitter and hard fought-Assembly election, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and its rival, Jana Andolan Party, are now busy protecting their support base and are on the path of agitation in the hills less than a month after the poll.

Four days after the poll results were announced, the JAP started a relay hunger strike at Tricone Park in Kalimpong from May 23 demanding streamlining of water distribution system in town. The party has threatened to intensify the protest if the problem is not resolved by the public health engineering under the GTA and the residents are not given water on a regular basis.

"We are likely to continue the dharna for some more time since the administration has done precious little to resolve the problem," said Nayan Pradhan, JAP secretary.

GJM and JAP on agitation path to protect their support base

The JAP is at present holding meetings at block and village levels to chalk out its future programmes.

The Morcha, too, has decided to launch an agitation to demand land rights to people living in tea gardens and cinchona plantations and tribal status for 11 hill communities.

Suraj Subba, the general secretary of the Janmukti Parcha-Patta Sangharsh Committee, said: "We have decided to hold gate meetings in front of all 87 tea gardens in the hills and in the cinchona plantations on June 13 for an hour before the start work. This is the start of our agitation and we will vigorously pursue our demand."

The Morcha's youth wing, the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha, has also decided to hold a rally in Darjeeling on June 2 to seek tribal status for 11 hill communities.

"The rally will start from Darjeeling Motor Stand and wind its way to Chowrastha," said Amrit Yonzone, the spokesman for the Yuva Morcha.

Telegraph

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Misplaced Priorities: Vidhyarthi Morcha and the Tribal Status Signature Campaign

7:52 AM

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schedule tribe

Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyarthi Morcha (GJVM), the student body of GJM has embarked on a signature campaign apparently aimed at Thanking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in advance and requesting the government to grant ST status for all the Gorkhali communities.

While it is good to see GJVM getting active, we however feel that they need to set their priorities right.

While other Morcha frontal organizations such as Yuva Morcha, Nari Morcha etc can easily collect the signatures or even independent organizations like Bharatiya Gorkha Janjati Sangarsha Mahasangh is already doing so, it might help if the students channelize their enthusiasm and energy towards issues that directly impact the students.

The demand for a Central University for the hill region is a long pending demand of the students and is also necessary to secure the future of our community, however we are unaware of any initiative led by the Vidhyarthi Morcha in this regard.

Misplaced Priorities: Vidhyarthi Morcha and the Tribal Status Signature Campaign

The Vidhyarthi Morcha will do well if they would rather focus on the issue of Central University and run a similar signature campaign for achieving it, instead of wasting their time and energy on an issue which is better suited for others.

GJM party bosses should also encourage the students to focus on Central University issue, instead of getting them to collect signatures for ST status, which at the best, is a waste of their good efforts.


Via TheDC

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Signature campaign for 11 gorkha communities demanding tribal status

7:27 AM

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tribal news

Darjeeling 9 May 2016 The Bharatiya Gorkha Janjati Sangarsha Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of 11 hill communities demanding tribal status, today announced it would organise a signature campaign in various parts of the country to garner support and to create pressure on the Centre.

The BGJSM’s demand is for according tribal status to the Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami and Yakha (Dewan) communities from the hills and the Dhimals from the plains of Siliguri. The organisation, which is affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, asserted that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bagdogra and Birpara on April 7 to campaign for the state Assembly election, he had said the process for granting tribal status to the 11 communities had started.

Signature campaign for 11 gorkha communities demanding tribal status

Through the planned signature campaign, the Mahasangh wants not only to thank the prime minister for his assurance, but also to urge him to take concrete steps in facilitating the early grant of tribal status.

The GJM had initiated the demand for issuing granting tribal status to those communities that had been left out. Presently, the Bhutia, Sherpa, Yolmo, Lepcha and Tamang communities come under the tribal category. GJM leaders have also placed the demand in several bipartite and tripartite meetings as the matter also figures in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement.

BGJSM president Kanchan Gurung said, “The signature campaign has actually started already from May 7 beginning from Lebong and the next day it was held in Mirik. We conducted the campaign today along Hill Cart Road in Darjeeling town. We are getting a good response from the people.”

The BGJSM maintained that the signature campaign was being undertaken solely after the announcement by the prime minister and refused to comment on a recent government circular that stated a committee has been formed to look into the demand. On April 2 this year, the Union tribal affairs ministry issued an order stating it had decided to constitute a committee which would be headed by Ashok Pal, joint secretary to the tribal affairs ministry, for examining and making recommendations on the issue of granting tribal status to the 11 communities in question.

“We do not want to comment on the formation of the committee as it is official work requiring due process. All we have to say is that no matter what, we should get tribal status. And we feel that through the signature campaign we want to tell the prime minister to grant it as soon as possible,” said Gurung, adding the list of signatures garnered would be sent to the prime minister on a regular basis.

The BGJSM also said that after the Assembly election results on May 19, they would hold a meeting with GJM chief Bimal Gurung to plan future programmes. They will also try to meet central ministers and the prime minister too if possible, to pursue the much sought-after demand.


(EOIC)

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4 Gorkha candidates vie for 3 reserved seats in Dooars

7:13 PM

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Trinamool Congress

Pramod Giri, HT, 14 Apr 2016, Kolkata: Vishal Lama, Usha Tamang, Padam Lama and Ganesh Lama may or may not win the Assembly elections. But they are the lucky ones to represent their community for the first time in the Dooars region of Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts where most seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Contesting from three seats these candidates represent the Gorkha community which has the second largest population after the Adivasis in tea producing belts of Dooars. Among the six seats n Dooars, five are reserved for STs while Alipurduar is a general constituency.

Mal, Nagrakata, Madarihat, Kalchini and Kumargram, all reserved Assembly seats for Scheduled Tribes, have always been sending MLAs belonging to the Adivasi community.

The inclusion of Tamang and Subbas belonging to Gorkha community in the Scheduled Tribes list in 2002 has changed the equation thus giving an opportunity to the Gorkha Scheduled Tribes to vie for MLA seats in the Dooars.

Dooars, known as the land of tea gardens and forests, has always lagged behind in terms of development while malnutrition deaths in the closed and abandoned tea gardens have become a regular occurrence.

Four Gorkha Scheduled Tribe candidates are contesting Assembly elections from the reserved seats of Kalchini, Madarihat and Nagrakata.

Vishal Lama and Usha Tamang are contesting as BJP and Independent candidates respectively from Kalchini. The Trinamool has fielded Padam Lama from Madarihat and Ganesh Lama is the All-India Gorkha League candidate from Nagrakata.

Mohan Sharma of the Trinamool, probably the best known political leader in entire Dooars, who is a Gorkha, said, “This is the first time Gorkhas are contesting the Assembly election in the Dooars.” Sharma, the sabhadhipati of Alipurduar zilla parishad, told HT, “Had Subbas and Tamangs not been accorded Scheduled Tribe status, hardly any Gorkha would have contested the Assembly election in the Dooars.”

Though reservation has largely helped to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the Adivasis, this has also come on the way of Sharma and Amarnath Jha of realising their dream of achieving higher political status. Sharma and Jha, both Brahmins and who were in the Congress for a long period before joining the Trinamool, are credited with grooming many junior Adivasi leaders who later became ministers, MPs and MLAs.


Via kalimpongnews

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GJM to complaint against development boards to Election Commission

11:28 AM

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TMC

Morcha mulls moving EC against development boards

It’s election time and things have started heating up in the hills. For one, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against the community development boards formed by the state government for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri yesterday said the chairmen of the Sherpa, Bhutia, Tamang, Mangar, Khambu Rai and Limbu community development boards held an indoor meeting on Friday in Darjeeling where they decided to support the Trinamool despite holding offices of profit.

On Friday, representatives and members of the six associations under the radar held a meeting to decide ways to pursue measures for safeguarding and promoting their tradition, culture and language. The contentious issue of which party to support in the election was also discussed in the meeting and the associations unanimously decided to extend support to that political party (read TMC) that had helped the communities.

However, all the six chairmen had clarified the meeting was not convened by the development boards but by the associations and that they had not forced any member to vote for the TMC or any other political party.

“We will approach the ECI and lodge complaints against the six development boards for violating the model code of conduct. How can officials of development boards that function under the state government speak for a party? These officials receive salary and vehicles and other perks from the state government,” Giri said following the public meeting held by the GJM this afternoon in support of the party’s candidate from Darjeeling.

Nonetheless, the GJM general secretary was quick to add that the development boards would not affect his party’s prospects on April 17, the day of voting. “We are more concerned about polling being fair and clean even though we are confident of winning handsomely even if the development boards support the TMC,” he said.

GJM president Bimal Gurung also echoed Giri saying the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC would taste defeat, in spite of the state government showering money worth crores to the boards ahead of the election. “She has spent crores on the development boards just to garner votes. But one must remember that when it comes to issues pertaining to identity, statehood and aspirations, the hills will always remain united even if more doles are offered,” he said.

“The state government may try to tear us apart by creating divisions. But we will keep on mending the damage until we achieve statehood,” thundered Gurung to loud applause from the crowd gathered at the Motor Stand area of town.

According to the GJM chief, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise during his April 7 speech in Siliguri that the 11 communities of the hills would be granted tribal status was a stepping stone towards achieving statehood. “Modi-ji himself told me that day that the 11 communities would be granted tribal status. I would like to remind you that he once said the dreams of the Gorkha people were his dreams too. We must remember that things are achieved one at a time,” said Gurung, adding he has invited the prime minister to Darjeeling.

Darjeeling GJM candidate Amar Singh Rai trained his guns on the TMC-JAP-GNLF ‘jote’ (alliance) saying it was temporary and that its intentions were ill. “JAP says development is its priority, the GNLF wants Sixth Schedule status and the TMC is anti-Gorkhaland. The alliance is an unholy nexus against our statehood aspiration and will be scattered when they taste defeat,” he said.

Meanwhile, the other GJM leaders who spoke at the campaign meeting appeared more interested in denouncing JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri than rallying for the party candidate.


Via: EOIC,

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