Considering the political and
administrative history of Darjeeling-Duars, one often wonders why has this
region been kept within the administrative preview of West Bengal at the first
place? In this connection it is important for the larger public to understand that among
other relevant factors for the state re-organisation, State Reorganization
Commission (1955) considered language & culture and financial viability
important. However, both of these factors were overlooked and Darjeeling-Duars
was merged into West Bengal with high level of politics played by BC Roy and
the then congress party (see Politics
of Autonomy: Indian Experiences (2005) edited by Ranabir Samaddar).
The region was
merged into West Bengal without any consultation with the Gorkhas, Adibasis and
other people living in the area during early 1950s and against the will of the
larger population residing in the region. Absorbed Area Act (1954) also sheds
light on the issues of the absorption of Darjeeling district into the West
Bengal. Importantly, there was also a very strong lobby to form a state called
'Uttarakhand' consisting of Sikkim, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch-behar that
eventually did not fructify.
Therefore, the very idea that Darjeeling-Duars is an integral
part of West Bengal and the pseudo cry of ‘banga
bhanga hobena’ often publicized by Bengalis and Bengal Government has no
teeth. It is unfounded, illogical and just an emotional 'rhetoric'. BC Roy and
his team treacherously merged the region into West Bengal without consulting
the vulnerable, gullible, peace loving Gorkhas and Adibasis in the 1950s.
Where is the question of division of West
Bengal, therefore? The Gorkhas now want to de-merge
the region from West Bengal and have our own governance. It is as simple as that!
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