Demand for a separate state was initiated by the Britishers

By P.P. Gurung, Joretang

On the 26th April, 2003, I came across a very important article in “The Statesman” under North Bengal and Sikkim Section which reads as follows-“Return of Mal Mateli in Darjeeling constituency demanded”. After reading the article I instantly felt that it as my moral duty as a citizen of the country to express my opinion and simultaneously to bring an awareness. I can sincerely say that I had made a detail survey of the area. Since I was sent as an observer from the AICC office at New Delhi to monitor the parliamentary and assembly elections in 1987 when Shri D.P. Roy (Mithu Bhai) was contesting for the Jalpaiguri Parliamentary Constituency as a NIC Candidate. After being briefed by the local congress leaders of the District I instantly took the initiative to go the Bakhrakot, where I interacted with the local businessman and the public. I was the advised to meet Shri Sukman Moktan who at the time was spearheading the agitation for Gorkhaland in the Dooars area. The said meting with the latter was not successful inspite of my waiting for him till 3 O’clock in the morning, his whereabouts was not known. But I was confident that my message had reached him in right earnest. Finally, later at 5 a.m. I met him on the appointed time and place desired by him. The meeting was short but not fruitful. [Inset: Ari Bahadur Gurung. Photo: Fallen Cicada - Unwritten History of Darjeeling Hills. Copyright Barun Roy]

During my entire tour of Jalpaiguri district even to the interior of Kalchini a S/T constituency which returned the Congress Candidate successful. I witnessed the misery not only of the general populace due to various economic disparities, but the pitiful condition of the children who were deprived of the basic amenities of education and health facilities was heart breaking. I also learnt that their grievances and reports of omission and commission had never reached Writers Building or New Delhi.

After the election I was directed by lat Shri Rajiv Gandhi the then President AICC to submit my report of the debacle to Shri Arjun Singh the then Vice-President, AICC at 24 Akbar Road, New ¬Delhi.In my report I elaborately described the miseries of these people, especially of the ethnic population of the area. I also added in my report the political dibacle which was the fall out due to the last minute withdrawal of the Congress Candidature Late Ray, Ex- Chief Minister of West Bengal for Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency. Further this resulted to large scale resentment in North Bengal which further culminated to a split in the Darjeeling District Congress Party due to the non acceptance of the Official nominee.

It must also be mentioned here that the credit for the development of the Mirik Tourist Resort, North Bengal State Transport, North Bengal Medical College all goes to the personal initiative of the trusted Bhadralok1eader Late S.S. Ray Late Gajendra Gurung who was the then Minister in the S.S. Ray Cabinet. The frustration of the hill people resulted the latter joining the Gorkha Land Movement.

Now getting back to the news article, in my opinion the article demanding the inclusion of Mal, Matelli and Nagrakatta areas into the Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency in justified for the criteria which has to be taken into account for the process of delimitation and likewise the history of the hills stands to justify the demand.

In section 9(1) of the Delimitation Act 1962 and clauses (a) to (d) have been stated to be taken into consideration for the process of Delimitation empowered by Article 327/329 read with article 170. But the 1972 delimitation process, I must admit seemed to have had over looked the conditions or criteria stated in section 9(1) of the Delimitation Act 1962. For the deletion of Mal, Matelli and Nagrakatta areas from the Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency to the Jalpaiguri district and vice versa the simultaneous accretion of Islam and Chopra area of the then West Dinajpure/district into Darjeeling parliamentary constituency does not fulfill any of the stated criteria for the process of delimitation. Further the accretion of Mal, Matelli and Nagrakatta to the Jalpaiguri district is the root cause for the deterioration in the standard of living of the ethnic people the tribes of these areas since these areas do not share any kind of homogeneity or affinities in terms of geographical continuity, language customs, traditions with the present constituency and vice versa.Therefore unabling the representatives of the constituency to understand the grievances which in turn led to the inability for the representative to strive for the betterment of the people of these areas.

When looking at it from historical point of view. The demand holds weight, since various events in the history of the hills validates the demand. For instance the peace treaty concluded at Sinchula in Bhutan on 1st Nov. 1865, between the British and the Bhutanese. Under the term of the treaty the British retained the possession of the entire strip of the Assam and Bengal Dooars from the Dhansiri river in the East to the Tista rivers in the West, the low country lying along the foothills, together the Dalim (Kalimpong) hill tract co extensive with the Bengal Dooars. The British also retained Dewangiri and the area around it. Later in the 1920’s the various Association like the Darjeeling Planters Association, Himalayan Men’s Association and European Association demanded the exclusion of Darjeeling and the Dooars from Bengal. They further demanded to keep these areas with the Chief Commissioners province for at this time the I.N.C. had begun their wide spread movement for Independence. Thus the Britishers who were far thinkers desired that if India attained Independence, then Darjee1ing and the Doors should always remain under them.¬

It is also befitting to mention here the role of a member of veteran politicians who strove for the betterment of the Hill people.

First among the long list was late Damber Singh Gurung, who in 1937 elected as an independent candidate of the Bengal Provincial Legislative Assembly. This veteran politician realized that a political platform was necessary for the hill masses therefore in 1943 the Gorkhali Party was formed with the support of the Nepali Speaking population including Bhutia, Lepchas, Dukpa’s and others too who were residents of the area. D. S. Gurung objective was to safeguard the future of the Nepali speak¬ing population after India achieved Independence.

After he was elected the second time, he along with twenty four other members was elected by the house (Bengal Assembly) as members of the Constituent Assembly to represent the undivided Bengal Provinces for the framing of the Indian Constitution.

It is worth mentioning here that late Damber Singh Gurung had strove for the betterment of the Hill people of Darjeeling District and Dooars. As seen from the number of correspondence he maintained with Subhas Chandra Bose who was the then President of INC in which he had informed the latter of the plight of the hill people and was also given assurance by Subash Chandra Bose that a special committee would be appointed to investigate and solve the grievances of the hill people. But his unfortunate demise in 1948 brought about the entry of another veteran politician late Ari Bahadur Gurung a barrister by profession and a freedom fighter; He was one of the noted signatory of the Indian Constitution.

However the year 1952 was an important year for the year saw the first General election of Independent India. It was in this year that late T. Wangdi was elected and succeeded to become a Min¬ister in the general election as a Tribal candidate from the Naxal Bari Constituency and simultaneously late George Mahabert was elected from Siliguri Constituency. The next year 1953 saw the victory of late NB Gurung from the Kalimpong Constituency. The general election in Kalimpong was held a year later due to a court case, and he also succeeded to become minister in Dr. B.C. Roy’s Cabinet.

The above mentioned politicians made the hill people proud for they had joined hands with the leaders of Independent India to restructure the country into a Democratic, Republic, Secular, and Sovereign Country.
It was only in 1955 after the government of India with the task of re-organizing all the State in India on the basis of language set up a state Reorganisation Commission (SRC), The Gorkhaleague Party represented Darjeeling District in this Commission and demanded for the exclusion of Darjeeling and Dooars areas from Bengal and also to declare it as an autonomous state.

The 1970’s therefore witnessed the dawn of various organizations and parties like “Pranta Parishad” led by Shri Gajendra Gurung and later the GNLF.

Before I conclude, I agree that the politica11eadership at Writers Building and New Delhi even though after receiving first hand reports from reliable sources including government agencies and political parties had failed to realize the aspirations and submission of the plight of the people. Emphasis should also be made that during the peace talks, the hill people were never taken into confidence by the leaderships. For it is seen that while peace negotiations are carried out by the government, retired Senior Government officials or retired judges are put to job, as in the present case of peace talks of Nagaland was done be deputing senior retired Home Department Officials to carry out the process. But in the case of Darjeeling no such Retd. officials or representatives of the Union Government was deputed instead Mr. Indrajit Khuller who was not acquainted with the problems of hill people was privately sent to negotiate by Shri Butta Singh the then Home Minister. Mr. Indrajit Khuller surprisingly was also elected as Member of Parliament from Darjeeling and in his tenure of office he did nothing to redress the grievances of the Hill people and did not recommend for the inclusion of the Nepali speaking or the ethnic tribal areas to be included in the Hill Council for which the present state of affairs are continuing.

I sincerely feel that the senior citizens of the areas in question should come forward to share their views and submit their support for a separate state keeping all political interest away and political interest should be sacrificed for the cause of the area and the people.