Some facts about the District of Darjeeling (Part One)

By Barun Roy

1. The land of Darjeeling district including Kalimpong and Dooars areas, was ceded to the East India Company and to British India by the Kingdom of Nepal and the ingdom of Bhutan as per the Treaty of Sugaulee of December 2, 1815, and the Treaty of Sinchula of November 11, 1865, respectively. History thereafter took many twists and turns in regard to the status of these ceded areas. At one time, these ceded areas were a part of Sikkim and then of Bhagalpur in Bihar. Next, these were made a part of Rajshahi Division, presently in Bangladesh. Now the areas are a part of West Bengal. The British even considered maing Darjeeling a part of Assam in response to a strong demand from the people of the area. Again, these ceded territories were once officially regard as “Excluded Areas” within Bengal and thereafter as “Partially Exclused Areas”. Importantly, however, the question of the legal status of the said areas remained hazy and undecided when the British decided to quit and India became independent on August 15, 1947.
2. Indeed, several questions arose prior to the independence of India in regard to the fate and future of the Gorkha people and the land of the District of Darjeeling. At one state, the British were stated to be interested in returning the ceded land back to the Kingdom of Nepal. This proposal was favoured by a majority of the Ranas in the ruling circles in Kathmandu. However, the proposal was eventually not accepted by the Ranas on the ground that it would bring into the Kingdom Gorkha people of Darjeeling who were highly politicized because of their involvement in India’s freedom movement. They feared that this would only add to the troubles of the Rana sarkar which was already under threat and tottering.
3. The British Government then toyed with the idea of making Darjeeling a “Chief Commissioner’s Province” under direct British rule as in the case of Hong Kong. This proposal is said to have been inspired by the British tea planters of Darjeeling district. Most of the local elite, intellectuals and lawyers whole heartedly welcomed this development. A campaign was even launched by them to educate the masses of Darjeeling and moblize their support of the proposal. But some local political leaders vehemently opposed the move. The proposal thereupon fell through, much to the anger of the British planters.

Article III of the Indo-Bhutan Treaty of 1949 is related to Article II & IV of the Sinchula Treaty of 1865

By Barun Roy

THE TREATY CONCLUDED AT SINCHULA

On the 11^th day of November, 1865

Treaty between His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir John Lawrence, G.C.B., K.S.I., Viceroy and Governor-General of Her Britannic Majesty’s possessions in the East Indies, and the one part by Lieutenant Colonel Herbart Bruce, CB, by virtue of full powers to that effect vested in him by the Viceroy and Governor – General, and on the other part by Samdojey Deb Jimpey and Themseyrensey Donai according to full powers conferred on them by the Dhum and Deb Rajahs, 1865.

ARTICLE I

There shall henceforth be perpetual peace and friendship between the British Government and the Government of Bhootan.

ARTICLE II

Whereas in consequence of repeated aggressions of the Bhootan Government and of the refusal of that Government to afford satisfaction for those aggressions, and for their insulting treatment of the officers sent by His Excellency the Governor-General in Council for the purpose of procuring an amicable adjustment of differences existing between the two states, the British Government has been compelled to seize by an armed force the whole of the Doars and certain Hill Posts protecting the passes into Bhootan, and whereas the Bhootan Government has now expressed its regret for past misconduct and a desire for the establishment of friendly relations with the British Government, it is hereby agreed that the whole of the tract known as the Eighteen Doars, bordering on the districts of Rungpoor, Cooch Behar, and Assam, together with the Taloo of Ambaree Fallcottah and the Hill territory on the left bank of the Teesta up to such points as may be laid down by the British Commissioner appointed for the purpose is ceded by the Bhootan Government to the British Government forever.

People’s Dream Vs Leaders’ Dream

By Salim Tamang,

Rimbick Bazaar,

Darjeeling

We would have been able to return back to earth had the journey been started from the time when the Hillmen of 1917 started the journey of salvation from Bengal. The innocent lovely ancestors trusted all the leaders in the hope that he/she would definitely bring or fulfill the long standing demand of salvation from Bengal. Our ancestors supported these leaders and gave everything. Bullets and lathi charge could not stop them. Blood of young and old had painted the Mela Ground in Kalimpong. To make people further aggressive “Gorkhaland can be achieved within six months or one year,” said Ghisingh. This was how he made the innocent people of the District of Darjeeling and Dooars believe that he was only saviour who could bring justice and salvation from Bengal.

The people have lost much from the time of Ladenla in 1917 to Damber Singh Gurung in 1946. To achieve a goal of salvation, Damber Singh Gurung and other Gorkha League party members visited Nepal on 23.12.1946 to merge Darjeeling into Nepal. The British then was paying Rs. 12, 000 (Twelve thousand) as rent of Darjeeling to Sikkim and it proved that Damber Singh Gurung and the League members were not the legal authority of Darjeeling who could merge it in Nepal. The way they thought to be right was actually wrong. Therefore the contribution made by the people proved fruitless. From then on, it has become a system or culture that Darjeeling areas are treated separately belonging to nobody.

The way they thought to be right not only deceived them but the people too.

Gorkha troops’ fate worries Army

By SRIDHAR KUMARASWAMI

New Delhi, April 27: Mention the Gorkhas and images of the dreaded curved blade (khukhri) wielded by fierce little hill-men comes rushing to one’s mind. The Maoist threat of stopping further recruitment of Nepalese Gorkhas in the Indian Army may soon bring down the curtains on nearly two centuries of glorious military tradition and history and one of the finest tribe of soldiers ever to serve in the Indian Army.
The ministry of defence (MoD) and Indian Army have so far maintained a silence on the issue. But Army officers that this newspaper spoke to, said that any future ban on recruitment of Nepalese Gorkhas into the Army would be a tragedy for the force besides depriving some of the finest soldiers in the world and their families from a means of livelihood that they have been accustomed to for nearly 200 years.
There are currently an estimated 30,000 Nepalese Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army. There are seven Gorkha regiments (of the Gorkha Rifles) in the Army, in which there are both Nepalese and Indian Gorkha soldiers serving. Gorkha regiments have won numerous gallantry, including two Param Vir Chakras. The legendary Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, now in his nineties, was himself an officer from the 8 Gorkha Rifles.
The first batch of Gorkha soldiers joined the British Indian Army of the East India Company in 1815 ahead of the imminent defeat of Nepal in the Anglo-Nepal War from 1814 to 1816. The Gorkhas, a sturdy hill-tribe from Nepal had established their own kingdom in the country in 1768, which eventually included Nepal, Sikkim, Kumaon, Garhwal, the Terai region and Kangra.

A Gorkha’s lonely point of view

The equestrian figure of the legendary Durga Malla stands proudly in the precincts of the Indian Parliament, the heart of India’s democracy. As the venerable Mahindra P. Lama suggests, Durga Malla should be crafted into the brand ambassador of the Gorkhas living in India. Dr. Lama’s suggestion is absolutely right and should be worked on without any doubts.

But then Dr. Lama has never suggested that we pass into oblivion those Gorkhas who served in the Indian army prior to 1947. The Gorkhas who served in the British Indian army should not be remembered by us merely as those twenty five oath bound Gorkhas who under General Dyer shot at an unarmed crowd in April 1919 at Jalianwala Bagh. Perspectives should change with the passage of time and the discovery of recent accounts of the same history.

The contribution of the Gorkhas should not be confined merely to whether they took part in the freedom struggle or not or how much did they contribute but also thereafter in the nation building process. And we as Gorkhas ourselves should never blindly accuse our predecessors that they blindly supported the Britishers and never did support the Indian freedom struggle. One should read unbiased history before one should accuse oneself. With the pen in the scabbard, the unbiased history of the Gorkhas has just started it stands, a silhouetted equestrian figure wearing a Gurkha heart against a crimson horzon with the sun slowly pulling up behind its back.

Those who served in the pre Independent army were not only Gurkhas, there were other Indians too. India’s first Field Marshal, and till now the finest, SAM Manekshaw, MC of the 8th Gorkha Rifles fought against the Japanese and not in the Azad Hind Fauj. Outstanding middle-level and junior leaders such as Brigadier KS Thimayya DSO, Major Srikant Korla DSO, MC, Major NC Rawlley MC and Major Rajwade, and others too were not in the Azad Hind Fauj. After Independence these men filled into the higher commands left vacant by the departure of the Britishers. These men guided the modern Independent army ably so much so that the Indian army is considered at present one of the best and fit fighting forces of the world.

These men like the Gorkhas of the pre independent Indian army fought not for the British Flag but as put by the Indian army in its website (www.indianarmy.nic.in) ‘The Indian Army Sepoy (from the Hindustani word sipahi) and now Jawan (young man) or Sawar (rider) and his leaders formed a cohesive collective. They lived to serve the Unit, they were willing to die for it. Nothing must happen which would tarnish its honour, its izzat… Unflinching loyalty was to a concept and not to a transient personality or cause. Always and everywhere, the Unit came first.’

Sunkosh March

Released by Gorkha Janmukti AGSU

Introduction

Since the inception of the All Gorkha Students Union (AGSU) in the year 1994 we have been working tirelessly for the upliftment of the students in the hills. There are lots of problems faced by the students. We have been continuously highlighting them. The ultimate aim of AGSU is to create a separate state for the Gorkhas called the Gorkhaland within the framework of the Indian constitution. The proposed Gorkhaland would include the district of Darjeeling and its neighbouring area of Dooars.

In the same way the newly formed Gorkha Janmukti Students Front under its parent organization Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is also working in the college level to uplift the students.

In this context it was decided that the two organizations i.e., All Gorkha Students Union (AGSU) and Gorkha Janmukti Students Front would work together. A new name was decided for the new outfit and it is called Gorkha Janmukti AGSU.

Purpose

It is decided that in the present scenario it is very important that we claim our area. So Gorkha Janmukti. AGSU took on itself the task to walk the area that lies in our proposed state. The students will hoist the flag of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and Gorkha Janmukti AGSU in the lands they set their feet.

Route

Gorkha Janmukti AGSU started “SUNKOSH MARCH” on the 13th of April i.e., 1st of Baishak 2065. The march started from Darjeeling and it will end at the banks of Sunkosh River which lies in the Assam border. The marchers will be traveling a distance of 299 km in about 15 days.

One the first day of the march, 17 marchers started from Chowrasta amidst Gorkha Ekta Diwas program organized by Gorkha Janmukti AGSU.The march was flagged off by Mr. Bimal Gurung (President Gorkha Janmukti Morcha), Mr. Prashant Tamang (Indian Idol), Prakiti Giri and Karma Sherpa.

The marchers halted for the first night at Sonada. In Sonada a big reception was organized for them. The next day they were joined by 20 more marchers from different part of Darjeeling making the total to 37. All the marchers had a medical checkup at Sonada. From Sonada they proceeded towards Kurseong.

In Kurseong the marcher were put up at the community hall. Here too they were welcomed by an encouraging number of people. Form Kurseong they started their march towards their next destination that is Tindhara. In Kurseong they were joined by 15 more marchers taking the total to 52.

Morcha to hold talks with Meena

DARJEELING, April 27: With the state government’s denial to grant permission to the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) to hold meeting at Bagha Jatin Park in Siliguri, the party has threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike. “We have given a deadline to the state government till 30 April. If they don’t grant us permission by this date we will go on an indefinite hunger strike”, stated Mr Roshan Giri, general-secretary of the GJMM. Saturday’s meeting with home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakravarty proved inconsequential after the GJMM staged a walk out in protest of the government’s decision. “Our intention is not to incite violence but to make the people aware of the separate state of Gorkhaland”, stated Mr Giri alleging that theb state government had adopted a discriminatory attitude towards the GJMM.

However, the state government has again invited the GJMM to hold talks on the issue tomorrow at circuit house in Siliguri. “Tomorrow’s meeting with Mr BL Meena will decide whether or not to go forward with the indefinite hunger strike”, said Mr Giri. He said that the proposed hunger strike that will start on 1 May would be observed in all three sub-divisions of the Hills including Dooars and Siliguri.

Violin orchestra leaves audience spellbound

GANGTOK, April 27: Miss Albina Lepcha, a teenaged girl left the audience spell bound when she tuned her violin piece “Mozart 23 II movement” as solo at the Defense Auditorium in Gangtok last night. Albina, a fifteen-year-old orphan girl from Gandhi Ashram (an orphanage school) in Kalimpong, was very keen on learning violin and she started learning to play the instrument at the tender age of seven when she studied in class I. “Violin is my life and I am in madly in love with the instrument. I forget everything when I listen to the tune of violin,” she said during a short interaction at the event. “I started learning to play the instrument at school as it was a part of our curriculum. But later on I fell in love with the instrument,” she added.
She along with her other friends has performed in Darjeeling and Kalimpong several times but played here in Gangtok for the first time. She narrated that this instrument may be her weak point. When asked that which other musical instrument appealed to her, she replied, “Piano would be the other instrument which I like listening to but do not have any idea about the technicalities of the instrument. It would be best if I continue to play violin so I pledge to continue playing it” she added.

GJMM to go on indefinite hunger-strike from 1 May

SILIGURI, April 27: Vexed at the state government’s persistent denial in granting it permission for a public rally in Siliguri, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike from 1 May.  The GJMM announcement comes a day after the party’s dialogue with the state home secretary Mr Ashok Mohan Chakroborty in Siliguri on Saturday failed to yield a result. “Now, we have no other option but to resort to the fast so that the state government does not trample our democratic right of a peaceful campaign for Gorkhaland. Our party cadres would launch the fast-unto-death agitation simultaneously at Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and Siliguri from 1 May,” said Mr Bimal Gurung, president, GJMM.
“A total of 55 GJMM cadres would be taking part in the indefinite hunger strike and 11 activists would sit on hunger strike at each venue,” he said. Adding further, Mr Gurung said that in Siliguri, the hunger strike venue would be around the Darjeeling More area.

Taking a dig at the state government for denying it permission for a rally in Siliguri, the GJMM president alleged that the administration was ‘illogically’ citing the 28 September 2007 violence in Siliguri as an excuse. “That violence had erupted during a rally of ‘Indian Idol” Prashant Tamang’s fans, whereas ours is completely a different issue. We want to hold a peaceful public rally in Siliguri in support of our political demand for a separate Gorkhaland state and I guarantee that there would be no violence from our side,” Mr Gurung said.  He further said that like the state urban development minister and the Siliguri MLA, Mr Asok Bhattacharya has every right to hold meetings in the Hills, being a political party the GJMM too has the right to carryout democratic demonstrations in Siliguri.  “We are not stopping Mr Bhattacharya to visit the Hills. He is most welcome to come and organise his party meetings wherever he wishes,” the GJMM supremo said. [The Statesman]

Chopper pilots’ school- Bagdogra trains 1000th batch

Bagdogra, April 27: A technical school at the Bagdogra air base has trained 1,000 batches of helicopter pilots, reaching the landmark when 11 Indian Air Force (IAF) officers completed their course last week. [Inset: The air force officers at TETTRA School at Bagdogra air base on Friday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo]

TETTRA School, which has been functioning for the past 10 years, imparts various levels of knowledge to air force pilots from across the country through 91 courses. The pilots are taught various aspects of the MI series of choppers in courses ranging from 15 days to six months. TETTRA stands for Technical Type Training School.

“The training is on various aspects of MI-8, MI-17 and MI-17 1V helicopters, which form a major chunk of the IAF’s chopper force,” said Wing Commander M.I. Ali, the commanding officer of the school. He added that MI-17 1V, inducted in 2001, is considered the workhorse of the force.

Varsity firm on reassessed results

Siliguri, April 27: The North Bengal University (NBU) has decided to stick to the reassessed results of the BCA and BBA.

The decision of the varsity’s executive council (EC) comes after a group of students expressed their unhappiness with the reassessed results published on Friday.

“They were given an opportunity to look at their answer scripts but they summarily rejected it,” NBU vice-chancellor Arunava Basumajumdar said in a release.

“Under the circumstances, the EC decided to stick to the reassessed results,” the release added.

The students had alleged that they found “hardly any change” in the reassessed results. They had ransacked the administrative building and confined the vice-chancellor, EC members, and teachers to a room for over six hours on Friday.

The students had also launched a movement after the original results were published on March 31 which showed that around 90 per cent of them, studying in different semesters, had failed. The students had then asked for reassessment.

“In order to sustain the sanctity and confidence in the university examination system, the EC allowed the reassessment of the answer scripts of the candidates of BBA and BCA examinations by a separate set of examiners and published the reassessed results on April 25,” read the release.

Currently, eight colleges and the Information Technology Centre of the NBU offer the courses. All are self-financed with over 2,000 students enrolled in them.

Hills hail call to scrap treaty

Darjeeling, April 27: Political parties in the Darjeeling hills have welcomed the demand made by the Maoists in Kathmandu to scrap the 58-year-old India-Nepal peace and friendship treaty, though the two sides are driven by entirely different reasons.

Prachanda’s party has termed the treaty “unequal”. The hills, on the other hand, are focusing on Article VII of the treaty. It states: “The governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and privileges of a similar nature.”

At the height of the Gorkhaland agitation in 1987, GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh had first demanded that the article be repealed because it allegedly clouded the question of identity. He had claimed that even Indian “Gorkhas” were being labelled as “foreigners” because the treaty allowed Nepalese citizens to freely reside in India.

On July 27, 1987, 13 people had been killed when GNLF supporters marching towards Mela Ground in Kalimpong to burn copies of the treaty clashed with police. Since then, the party has frequently raised the demand of scrapping the treaty.

Plan to stop water theft

Siliguri, April 27: The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will crack down on those who tap water illegally from underground supply lines in many of its wards, in a bid to give uninterrupted water supply to residents.

As part of its drive to check the diversion of water, the civic body will conduct raids, slap fine on those found taking water without permission and even seek the help of police to seize their pumps.

“In the past couple of weeks, we have received complaints regarding water supply,” said Sharadindu Chakraborty, member, mayor-in-council (water).

The civic body supplies drinking water to 36 of its 47 wards with the help of the state public health engineering (PHE) department. It has more than 10,000 water connections.

Chakraborty said once a building got sanction from the SMC for water connection, the owner had to construct an underground reservoir for storing water. The water is then pumped from the reservoir.

Closed tea estate gets back to work

Bharnobari Tea Estate (Alipurduar), April 27: Workers of this Dooars tea garden had a busy Sunday as they cleaned and painted the factory to get it ready for tomorrow, when the garden reopens after nearly two-and-a-half years. [Inset: A worker paints the roof of an office in front of the garden factory. Picture by Anirban Choudhury]

They also gave the display board outside the garden a fresh coat of paint. The notice board in the office announced that the garden would reopen on May 28.

Three new financiers have taken over the garden that has been closed since December 30, 2005. Two of them — Surojit Basu and Ashoke Chawla — visited Bharnobari today. The third financier is Kingshuk Sinha.

“We are yet to get the ownership documents because of some legal wrangle, but the garden will be transferred in our name soon,” said Basu, who, along with the other two, runs two gardens in north Bengal and Assam.

Morcha to meet govt for elusive permission

Darjeeling/Siliguri, April 27: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to sit for one last round of talks with the Bengal government tomorrow to try and obtain permission for a rally in Siliguri, failing which the party will organise an indefinite hunger strike from May 1. [Inset: Bhattacharya (left) and CPM leader Jibitesh Sarkar with the leaflets published by the party on Sunday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo]

The meeting will be held at the Siliguri Circuit House at 4pm.

“We have already told the state government that we want to hold a meeting in Siliguri on any day between April 28 and 30,” said Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha. “If there is no breakthrough at tomorrow’s meeting, groups of 11 Morcha supporters will sit on hunger strike in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Siliguri and the Dooars.”

Prakriti Giri performs in Gangtok

Prakriti Giri, one of the five finalists of a recently televised music reality show, performs at Palzor Stadium in Gangtok on Sunday. Picture by Ashit Rai