GJMM replace vehicle number plates
Posted by barunroy on July 8, 2008
FROM THE STATESMAN
DARJEELING, July 7: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today went ahead with its pre-planned programme of replacing vehicle number plates bearing the initials WB with GL depicting Gorkhaland and also closed down offices across the Hills, while the administration chose to remain silent on the issue. [Inset: A motorcycle with a GL Registration Number. Photo from Beacon Archives]
The programme comes following the non-cooperation movement of the GJM in defiance of the West Bengal government’s authority. “This is our home rule and we shall abide by it. If the administration wants to take action against us it can go ahead,” said party president Mr Bimal Gurung. Government vehicles are next in line for putting up such plates before the civilians switch over from WB to GL number plates in the third phase. “It is compulsory for the government vehicles to fix GL plates in the next phase and the people will do it ,” the leader announced.
When contacted, the SP and the ASP of Darjeeling refrained from commenting on the matter stating they were not “authorised” to issue any statement. The GJM also closed down all state, Central and DGHC offices for an indefinite period from today. However, banks, post-offices and the food supply department would remain open on Mondays and Fridays. The conservancy and waterworks department of the Hill municipalities would also remain open.
V.Lepcha said
The recent action of the GJM of asking all visitors to leave the hills is most condemnable and needs to be rejected by the hill people. This highly irresponsible apart from making us vulnerable in the plains has dealt a serious blow to the tourism industry, which is the backbone of the economy of the hills.
The most important point to be noted is that we have serious reservations to the name ‘gorhaland’ for the seperate state. The people of the hills are not only gorhkas but include the indegenious tribes of lepchas, bhutias, etc. The indegenious tribes of lepchas, bhutias, etc., are basically buddhists and some are christians and are simple peace loving people not believing in violence. A case in point is the non-violent struggle which is being carried out by the lepchas for the sacred ‘ djongu’ which would be submerged in the upcoming power project.
The present agitation is led by the gorkhas who follow the Hindu relogion. The gorkhas actually are outsiders and migrants from nepal who have come and settled in the hills here and have upstaged the indegenious local tribes. But being numerically strong these gorkhas try to dominate the local tribes. A large population of the hills including the indegenious tribes as well as considerable section of the gorkha do not support the leaderships of the GJM or the GNLF. But they do not speak out for fear of reprisals and violence by the militant cadres of the GNLF and the GJM.
The people of the hills need sober, educated and wise leadership to press for our demand for statehood. We do not want to taken for a ride by people who are blinded by personal interests and have with no vision and positive agenda for the economic development of the hill people. It has nothing got to do with the interests of the people of the hills.
There is need for the educated and selfless leaders to take up the issue of seperate statehood for the hills and not let it be hijacked by power hungry politicians to further their self interests. The agitation needs to conducted in a proper manner and should not be turned into a hill versus plains issue. Tourism industry is a major backbone of the hill economy and the present action of GJM would only hurt the fragile economics of the hills and increase the hardships of the common people.
The seperate state should be called DARJEELING, which would convey a broader identity to the people of the hills and not Gorkhaland, which stands for just one section of the population.
V.Lepcha.
Kolkata.
V.Lepcha said
NO TO GORKHALAND
YES FOR DARJEELING STATE
patley bas ko unpad said
well in that case Mr V Lepcha should come down to the Darjeeling hills and try and organise the bhutias and the lepchas to fight for their rights..i think even that may not be as simple as it may seem because in the matter of indigenity there will be controversies between the bhutias and the lepchas not to mention the tsongs..who will probably take recourse to their own versions of histories to prove their points…( i however deeply sympathise with the lepchas who apart from being culturally diluted by christiandom have also been dealt a bad deal by being clubbed with the more upwardly mobile bhutiyas as far as getting their due from the ST status is concerned)…it is in the light of these facts and also because we live in a democracy lepcha nationalists like Mr V lepcha will have to throw their lot behind the demographically superior Nepalis to carry them along …in fact the andolan day refrain…bhotey, lapchey, nepali hami sabai gorkhali appropriated the lepchas into the gorkha fold…and lastly V lepcha says
” The present agitation is led by the gorkhas who follow the Hindu relogion. The gorkhas actually are outsiders and migrants from nepal who have come and settled in the hills here and have upstaged the indegenious local tribes. But being numerically strong these gorkhas try to dominate the local tribes. A large population of the hills including the indegenious tribes as well as considerable section of the gorkha do not support the leaderships of the GJM or the GNLF. But they do not speak out for fear of reprisals and violence by the militant cadres of the GNLF and the GJM.”
this i think is needlessly alarmist..the gurkas were brought to the Darjeeling hills because the british realized their worth as a community that could open up forests, plant tea gardens, supply cheap manpower..all along they have co-existed wonderfully well with everyone..but unlike the docile lepchas they have a strong sense of justice and fairplay and organis fairly well when it comes to articulating their demands
V.Lepcha said
There should not be any problem in calling the seperate state as DARJEELING. It would only bring people of the hills together and any mischief sought to done towards dividing hill communities by vested interests can be nipped in the bud. There is strength in unity.
THE GORKHA CONSCIENCE said
Veteran Naxalite leader and the CPI-ML general secretary, Mr Kanu Sanyal has expressed support towards the ongoing agitation in the Darjeeling hills demanding a separate Gorkhaland state. The Maoist leader said, his party had favoured the Gorkhaland demand earlier and supports it now as well. “The Nepalis in Darjeeling have got every right to self-rule and the demand for Gorkhaland is very genuine.
But how genuine is that demand? The fact remains that the Nepalese are not the original inhabitants of Darjeeling. By all means, except for the few who were in Darjeeling before 1950, almost all of them are Nepalese citizens i.e., foreigners but due to the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950 were allowed to stay in India. Does that treaty gave them the right to demand a separate state?
If we look back in history Nepalese were in expansionary mode before. The Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814 – 1816, was fought between Nepal and the British East India Company as a result of aggresive attacks by Nepalese on both India and Tibet. Gorkhas were originated in West-central Nepal. The Gorkha army, after occupying all of eastern Nepal by 1773, invaded Sikkim in 1788. In the west, the Kumaon region and its capital Almora, were occupied by Gorkhas as well. To the north however, aggression against Tibet forced China in 1792 to attack Nepal and occupy areas very close to the capital Kathmandu. However, the Gurkha appetite of invasion was not stopped. In 1803, the Kingdom of Garhwal was occupied by the Gurkhas. Further west, even Kangra was occupied until in 1809, but Ranjit Singh the Sikh Emperor drove them out. Finally the British defeated them and drove them out of all these areas in India and Sikkim. In the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816, Darjeeling was returned back to Sikkim. According to the treaty, Nepal lost Sikkim, the territories of Kumaon and Garhwal, and most of the lands of the Tarai in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Darjeeling was annexed by the British Indian Empire in 1849. Immigrants from Nepal were recruited to work at construction sites, tea gardens, and on other agriculture-related projects; but their numbers were few and far between.
After the independence of India in 1947, Darjeeling was merged with the state of West Bengal. The separate district of Darjeeling was established consisting of the hill towns of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and some parts of the Terai region. When Tibet was occupied by in 1950, thousands of Tibetan refugees settled across Darjeeling district. Darjeeling has seen significant growth in its population during and after 1950, when the Nepalese started coming in, especially since the 1970s. Annual growth rates reached as high as 45% in the 1990s, far above the national, state, and district averages.
Nepalese were mainly labourers as they could work at high altitudes. They stayed on in India but they still identify themselves with Nepali music, culture, art and tradition.
During the 1980s, encouraged by some section of The Congress party, particularly Arjun Singh, who wanted to destabilise the leftist government of West Bengal, a violent movement by the Gorkha National Liberation Front started demanding a separate state. As a compromise Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was given semi-autonomous powers to govern the district. Later its name was changed to “Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council” (DGAHC), although Gurkha are not the original people but immigrants to Darjeling from Nepal.
Gurkhs are Nepalese, not Indian at all. The land in Darjeeling was always belonged to the Lepchas. This was true during the signing of the brotherhood treaty between Tibetans and Lepchas in the 1420s, during the Nepalese invasion of the 1760s, or when the East India Company took Darjeeling in 1816. However, the Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950, Article VII, grants citizens of both countries to move, reside and own property and participate in trade and commerce in each other”s territory. Nepalese taking advantage of that treaty came to India to demand a separate state, but would Nepal tolerate a similar demand by the Indian citizens who are now settled in Nepal?
India is always a soft state without any strategy, without any policy and even it does not react but always give in to the demands by its neighbouring countries. In similar circumstances in 1950s when large numbers of Indians were settled in Burma and Sri Lanka, they got expelled and India had accepted them back without protests. Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have expelled almost all non-Muslims. However, now when India is facing the prospect of a very violent country Nepal, controlled by vicious Maoists closely linked with China, and expanding through the emigrations of its citizens, India”s response is to offer more autonomy to these foreign citizens in India and allow them to come to India more and more to take over even larger areas. Nepalese demand today is not restricted to the Darjeeling District any more; they are demanding practically the whole of north Bengal as a part of their new state of Gurkhaland. Nepalese immigrants already taken over Sikkim, where they are today more than 70 percent of the population.
Two questions should be asked. How long would it take these Nepalese through immigration to take over parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarachal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which they had occupied during the early 19th century? What would be implications of that given the close relationship between the present government of Nepal and China for the security of India? The government of India does not care about these, but it is urging the West Bengal government to compromise more, although the creation of Gurkhaland as a Nepalese controlled area threatens the link between India and the whole of the North Eastern India.
BY-DR. BASU
Uttarbanga Jana Jagaran Manch said
We are opposing Gorkhaland or any partition and disintegration of West Bengal. India Government and West Bengal Government must consider the following demands in the interest of SECURITY QUESTION OF INDIA. Nepali infiltration must be stopped and they should be treated as per Bangladeshi migrants. Government must handled the all issues in strong hand.
DEMANDS OF UTTARBANGA JANA JAGARAN MANCH
1. Both the demands of Sixth Schedule and separate State of Gorkhaland would mean ultimate partition and disintegration of West Bengal. Both the demands should be rejected.
2. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council may be abolished and the Darjeeling District put directly under state administration, with Army protection.
3. Clause-VII Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950 may be repealed to prevent foreign Nepali infiltration.
4. All foreign Nepalese should be identified and pushed back to Nepal, as per the Foreigners Act, 1864 as is being done in the case of illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
5. Border outposts be set up with barbed-wire fencing. Visa be introduced in the Indo-Nepal border as is the case with Bangladesh.
V.Lepcha said
SEPERATE HILL STATE : NEED OF THE HOUR
The demand for the seperate hill stste is totally justified.
The demand for the separate state of the people of the hills has to be seen in the context of the social, cultural, economic aspirations of the region which after more than half a century of independence of the country is still without proper infrastucture, medical facilities, institutions of higher education. The region lacks in even the basic facilities including drinking water. There are no job opportunities for the youth, no economic development in the region. All these factors point to a total neglect of the hill region. The demand for the separate state has therefore to be seen in the proper perspective.
The entity of state is essentially a unit of administration. The primary task of administration is to address the issues of the people and take appropriate steps for solving the problems of the people. The demand for the separate state by the people of the hills is only a logical culmination of the, unaddressed legitimate aspirations of the people in a democracy.
However, the seperate state should be called DARJEELING, which The seperate state should be called DARJEELING, which would convey a broader identity to the people of the hills and not Gorkhaland, which stands for just one section of the population. Calling the new state as DARJEELING would certainly address the feeling of gorkha domination prevailing among the indegenious tribes of the hills.
YK Shrestha said
Yes to Gorkhaland.
NO to Darjeeling state.
As simple as that!!
pemsang_d said
We will never agree with the gorkhaland name for the seperate hill state. The name Darjeeling should be accepted for the seperate state, which does reflect a broader hill identity, as against the ‘gurkhaland’ which sounds communal. The nepali gurkhas may be in a majority in the hills but the indegenious tribal people of the hills do have their rights and our voice should also be heard. The name DARJEELING for the seperate state seems just fine.
Pemsang_D said
The recent acts violence of the GJM aginst its former partners in the GNLF sets at rest all doubt about the real agenda of the GJM. The GJM basically wants power to be consolidated in its hands and does not believe in democracy. Leave aside any other opinion or view regarding the composition of the hill state, it does not even want any competition from its former party GNLF.
These power hungry people masquerading as leaders of the hill people and their goondas are supposed to provide leadership to the proposed new seperate state. We should beware of such elements before they grow big.
The hill people certainly deserve better than such criminals and lumpens.
Birsa Munda said
Lies galore! Bengal government has always cooperated with elected bodies. In fact Bimal gurung is trying to become the father of a new state which is imptractical. How the question of 1907 arise. India was in the hands of British then. Since then so many states has undergone so many changes. Does it mean that West Bengal should be reunited with East Bengal? Bimal is working as an agent of foreign vested interests. If a small state with an area less than 1000 square KM is created then hundreds of such states has to be created for other ethnic communities in India. This will then be the begining of disintegration of India and that is what exactly Bimal wants. If he is sincere, he can demand integration of Darjeeling into Sikkim which too is a land of Nepalis.
M Tamang said
Bengal home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti today said the government wanted negotiations rather than force to deal with the problem in Darjeeling.
Chakrabarti was referring to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s diktat to drivers travelling to hills to use “GL” number plates replacing “WB”.
The Morcha also had recently announced that from October 17 all government signboards, which had “West Bengal” on them, would be wiped off and “Gorkhaland” written on them instead.
Chakrabarti, who held a meeting with administrative and police officials of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling here this evening, said: “The use of “GL” number plates is not legal. However, we are still insisting on negotiations instead of applying force as there are some practical constraints like shortage of police resources in Darjeeling.”
The official did not spell out some of the other “constraints” but said the “government was keen to solve the issue through discussions” and was banking on the next round of tripartite talks.
On “GL” number plates, Chakraborti said: “It is a complete violation of the motor vehicles act for which police can act on a complaint or even register a suo motu case. The government has taken action after a few drivers were assaulted in the hills last week and have registered cases.”
The official refused comment when asked what would happen to government signboards in the hills after October 17. “We cannot answer a hypothetical question,” he said. “Officials of the district administration are in contact with the Morcha leaders. On our side, we will refrain from any action that can hamper the talks.”
He, however, stressed that the situation in the hills was not beyond the control of the police or the administration. “Those working in government offices can in no way be a part of this movement. It is illegal to delete or change names of government offices,” he said. The official said every issue would be “elaborately spoken on and discussed” in the November talks.
JTM said
The GJMM Nari Morcha will be equal to 1000 Mamata Bannerjee.
Ashok Chakrabarty, CCFC te boshe ei shab katha bolte sahaja aache. Ektu Chowrastar madhe daariye bole din. Darjeeling gechhe aapnar haath theke. Sabai kolkatar bhadralok ei katha ta buje niye chhe. Novembere kicchu hobena. Aapni baro diner Kismas party janno Tolly clube seat book kare nin. Aar samba naacher practice karoon.
Birsa Munda said
BIGGEST QUESTION
The biggest question that romps on the current political situation is that whither goes Darjeeling? Will the state and the Centre ever allow the separation of West Bengal and creation of a new state? If so, at whose cost and for what reason? If not, what will be Gurung’s strategy? Will he follow the path of Ghising for a blood shedding movement? And even if Darjeeling gains its separate statehood, how will it run without having a strong economic backup?
It is anybody’s guess that the Centre will not bow down to the demands of the GJM, considering the demand on ethnic issues. Once the claim is approved,
• ethnic issues in other states too will gain momentum and that will be horrible to tackle. This will be a very costly proposition because the base of the movement lies in separatism – the most vulnerable danger before the central government.
• Another issue, which is more important, is the demographic situation of Darjeeling. Being a northern border area, Darjeeling has always posed threat of foreign aggression. Leave aside the immigration issues, largely related with illegal intrusion. This threat will mount manifold if Sikkim joins the movement because Sikkim is close to China. China has already claimed a part of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The claim of Gorkhaland with the inclusion of the Terai and dooars region is a a foolish proposition because this will give birth to serious political trouble and ethnic issues. Communal clashes are also not overruled. Is it believable that the Bengali and Adihibasi population of the Terai and Dooars region who are majorities will accept the rule of the Gorkhas to remain as second class citizens?
There is a danger that if the Gorkhaland demand is conceded, the next step would be to ask for merger with Nepal. We can not support a separate state for a million people based on ethnicity. However, more autonomy can be give to their local affairs by the state government. Delhi alone has a populaton of 150 million. Till how long will you keep carving new states whenever a million people get together and ask for one?
Birseko Muda said
@Birsa Munda
Aren’t we second class citizens under Bengal rule? You would do well to join us and have a separate state Gorkhaland where everyone’s future would be safe. Tell me Birseko Muda, what have you gained living under Bengal’s rule? BTW, I do not think you are really a Birsa Munda, you must be a bong writing under an Adivasi’s name. And yes, we would prefer you being called Tribals rather than Adivasi. Think about it.
Rakesh Anand said
WE ARE REPRODUCING STATEMENT OF Nilotpal Basu ,Member, CPI(M) Central Secretariat
First there was Telangana, and now disquiet and violence have enveloped the hills of Darjeeling. And unlike the Gorkhaland agitation of the ’80s, there is a conscious attempt to extend violence to the plains. The statehood question has, since the days of our freedom struggle, been complex. India through ages has assimilated cultures and ethnicities, emerging as a composite and plural society. Celebration of ‘Unity in Diversity’ has been the signature tune of Indian nationhood. All political forces engaged in freedom struggle recognised this basis for building modern, post-independent India. The sole exception was RSS. Advocating the enforcement of ‘oneness’ with emphasis on religious identity, subsuming the historical diversities of ethnicity, language, culture and geographic reality. Therefore, it was not a coincidence that the Constituent Assembly rejected the conceptual framework of creating over 100 states, which the RSS preferred. The emphasis was on creating linguistic states, which while recognising historical pluralities would also reinforce modernism to strengthen national unity. The States Reorganisation Commission, formed in 1953, recommended formation of linguistic states. However, language was not the only criterion. Administrative and economic viability, and geographic reality were also emphasised. That is why the entirety of Hindustani-speaking areas was not clubbed into a single state. However, the post-Independence period has not been free from tensions. The inherent nature of capitalist development has resulted in regional imbalances. Lack of development has been a basis for demanding new states, often undermining the principle of linguistic states. On the other hand, ethnic and linguistic considerations, which ignore the question of viability, have been pushed to the fore. Care has to be taken to evolve mechanisms like autonomous councils for some communities — with adequate constitutional safeguard for their respective identities and greater role in deciding their own future. Imperialism, particularly US imperialism, has been using the identity question to destabilise nations. So, formation of new and obviously smaller states cannot be an answer to the aspirations of our people.
- Nilotpal Basu ,Member, CPI(M) Central Secretariat