Tuesday 1 August 2017

The Gorkha Factor in Bengal

In reply to the article:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sunday-special/people/the-gorkha-factor-in-bengal/427159.html#comment-3438719366

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In 1891 there was not a single Bengali inhabiting the soil of Darjeeling Terai (Present Siliguri and adjoining area) (Source: Sashi Bhusan Dutt, 1898, Darjeeling Terai Settlement Report). By 1901 Darjeeling District had about 60% of the Gorkhas (Bengal Gazetteer: Darjeeling, 1948) . By 2011, the percentage share of hill populace was 48% while the plain populace largely represented by Bengali speakers was over 50% (District Census Hand Book, 2011). Shubhadeep Choudhury, who are the migrants here? Major part of Darjeeling including terai and duars was ruled by Nepal between 1780 and 1815 and there are evidences of the people of the region paying taxes to the king of Nepal at that point of time (Read history for reference). This clearly proves that the majority India Gorkhas came with the land!
Instead of rumour mongering, why dont you bring in pertinent issues of how Bengal has encouraged illegal Bangladeshi migration over the years into the soils of Bengal and rest of India? Why dont you talk about radical organisations like Aamra Bangali and Bangla-o-Bangali Bhasha Bachao Samiti that often talk about uniting Bengal and Bangladesh?, Why dont you talk about the imminent national security threat because of the rising illegal Bangladeshis often resorting to anti national activities from the soil of West Bengal? Why dont you examine the outstanding 3.4 lakh crore dept of W Bengal making it economically unviable to remain as a state?
Why dont you discuss such crucial issues? or are you also from Bangladesh residing illegally in Kolkata and trying to break the unity of India?
Bengalis have spread like insects across the spaces of Siliguri and Terai in the last 70 years and have eaten up scarce natural resources there without any notable contribution to the growth and development of the region. Why don't you do stories on such issues?
Entire Tea Industry and Sedentary Agriculture of Sikkim, Darjeeling and Southern Bhutan were established by the dint of hard works of the Gorkhas. If you research properly, livestock and dairy industry of entire Northeast India were initiated and established by the Gorkhas. The sacrifices of the Gorkhas on the border of the country is reported every other day! Why don't you explore these issues further and write some good stories on the Gorkhas?
Read the history and geography of West Bengal and Sikkim properly. We don't buy the stories of Ray, Chakraborty and Misra. They are not the trained historians. Tell them to stick to their respective subjects and contribute to their discipline.
Rumour mongering will not help.....that is what you people did in the 1980s and silenced the voices of the Gorkhas with the help of CRPFs...the stray dogs. This is 2017.......we have come a long way now.....economically, intellectually and strategically. If you have guts, come to the table to discuss the truth.
Live in peace and let Gorkhas to live in peace. Our problem is not with the Bengalis but with the system of governance in W Bengal.
Only Gorkhaland is the solution to the #Darjeelingunrest. However hard you try, the truth is Darjeeling and Duars never belonged to West Bengal and separate state consisting of entire Darjeeling dist, Kalimpong dist, large part of Jalpaiguri is inevitable, if not today.....definitely tomorrow. The demand for Gorkhaland is older than West Bengal.

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