National seminar of Gorkha Parisangh held in Siliguri - Six resolutions adopted; future course of action announced
Posted by barunroy on May 4, 2008
SILIGURI, May 02: Amidst under current tension, a three day long national seminar of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) concluded in Siliguri yesterday. The seminar included conferences of Parisangh’s national executive members, national council’s members and an indoor meeting of political parties of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Assam as well. The last day of the session was addressed by the prominent intellectuals of the organization and outside. A press release informs that six resolutions were adopted in the national council meet under the presidentship of D.K Bhandari, who is also the chairperson of the only apolitical organization of Gorkhas in India.
In the resolutions, it has proposed that Sikkim and Central Government should take suitable initiatives to resolve the pending case of the Tamangs and Limboos of Sikkim who have so far not been able to enjoy their political rights despite their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list of the Government of India. It has also been proposed that the Government of India should create a separate state of the Indian Gorkhas by comprising the lands of Darjeeling and Dooars areas under the article 3 (A) of the constitution. The Seminar also proposed that the BGP’s committees existing in 22 states in India must start approaching their legislative assemblies to bring motion in favour of a separate state for the Indian Gorkhas.
Apart from these, the resolution adopted in the convention has also requested the newly formed democratic set up in Bhutan to sort out the pending cases of the citizens of the Himalayan kingdom taking refuge in Nepal. The convention also urged the Government of India to review the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Friendship and Peace. Condemning the incident of April 9, 2008, the convention adopted a resolution requesting the Government of West Bengal to book the culprits of the incident and punish them as per the law of the land at the earliest. The national council meet decided to hold next executive meeting in Shillong (Meghalaya) and organize a national level exhibition of Gorkha culture in New Delhi in the name of Gorkha Bharati from 19 to 21 December, this year. It also decided to regularize the publication of periodic bulletin Hamro Parisangh, monthly mouth piece Gorkha Bharati and update the official website of the organization.
In the session of the prominent intellectuals, a reputed Bengali author Somen Nag appreciated the BGP for organizing such exercise and raising the demand of separate state at national level by inviting the intellectuals and concerned subject experts of the field in its seminar. He vehemently criticized the West Bengal Government of not allowing the democratic forces to organize rally in Siliguri for their legitimate demands and stated that most of the intellectuals of West Bengal support the demand of separate state of Gorkhaland if it is raised in proper democratic and peaceful manner.
Prof. Munish Tamang, Joel Rai, Swaraj Thapa, Dr. Gokul Sinha, Dr. Kishore Bharati were the prominent social figures to address the last day of the seminar while ABGL president Madan Tamang, CPRM general secretary RB Rai, BJP district president Dr. GS Yonzone, Trinamul Congress District Secretary Gopal Chhetri, Sikkim Rastriya Morcha leader R. Moktan, Gorkha Rastriya Congress president DK Bomjan, Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantric Party vice president BK Chhetri and others spoke about political situation and separation from West Bengal. In the session RB Rai, former MP, released a book entitled ‘the people have a right to know’ which contained verbatim report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the hearing of controversial 6th schedule issue. The meeting attended by about 500 delegates of the BGP all over the country was also addressed by BGP President DK Bhandari, working president CK Shrestha, secretary general Sukhman Moktan and others. [Sikkim Express]
