'Banga Bhanga Hobena' is just an emotional Rhetoric : Constitution of India has provision to break or unite a Province

I hope many of you watched the The Stream debate last night (12/07/17). I have two concerns to share:

First, the anchor read the note of @MahuaMitra on behalf of TMC (Mamata Banerjee), West Bengal, which, as expected, reiterated that Darjeeling-Duars is integral part of WB and therefore, cannot be divided at any cost. Upendra Pradhan, rightly, countered the statement by declaring the statement as unconstitutional. There is provision in the Constitution of India to divide or unite a province/state based on relevant factors.

Moreover, it is important for the larger public to understand that Darjeeling-Duars was merged into West Bengal with secret works of the persons like BC Roy. 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. You can read this whole political drama in the State Reorganisation Report (i guess it is online). Absorbed Area Act (1954) also sheds light on this. 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 has no teeth. It is unfounded, illogical and just an emotional 'rethoric' as rightly highlighted by Swaraj Thapa in the debate yesterday. Therefore, where is the question of division of West Bengal? BC Roy and his team deceitfully merged the region into West Bengal without consulting the vulnerable, gullible, peace loving Gorkhas and Adibasis in the 1950s. Now we want to de-merge it from Bengal and have our own governance. It is as simple as that!

Secondly, my friend, Satya Brat, who also contributed to the debate said, among other things, 'the region is rich in bio-resources' but eventually suggested for 'Feasibility Study'. Now, we are not working so hard to undertake Railway, Hydro-Power or High Way projects that we shall undertake feasibility study.

One should understand, Darjeeling District alone roughly contributes over INR 2000 crore per annum to the state exchequer. We are yet to workout the revenue generated by Duars. Unlike Goa (the smallest state of India) that depends solely on tourism, the proposed Gorkhaland has diverse resource bases including Tea, Tourism, Forest, Water, Aesthetic Beauty, Culture, heritage, Border Trade and many more. Therefore, there is no question of 'Feasibility Study'. Once the Centre agrees (we are not concerned with the state), we will have referendum in disputed areas like Siliguri Terai and Jalpaiguri Duars and straightaway carve a new state!

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Is Darjeeling a Killing Field for Centre and State Forces?

Seven (07) people have been killed in Gorkhaland (Darjeeling) so far during June 17 -July 10, 2017 and we do not know if this figure will go up with time. The Gorkhas are fighting for a separate State of Gorkhaland within India.

The first three were shot dead on June 17 when they were marching towards Patlebas located few kilometers away from Darjeeling Town. Security forces also resorted to violence in Kalimpong by open firing on the peaceful protestors on July 05, but no deaths were reported.  However, an unarmed Tashi Bhutia was shot in the midnight of July 07 while he was on this way home in Sonada after procuring medicine. The following day three more were shot dead. Two were killed while protesting the death of Tashi in the heart of Darjeeling Town and third shooting was made at Singmari area of the town reportedly without any valid reason. Many are in the hospitals fighting for their lives, we do not know how many of them will finally survive.

Reportedly, they are all killed by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, a force maintained by the Government of India. A critical point to be noted here is that, all the victims were shot on their heads and were killed on the spot. West Bengal either through Gautam Deb or Mamata Banerjee herself has been repeatedly clarifying that the security personnel have not fired/shot at the protesters. In fact, when Aniket Chettri succumbed to his injury recently after his truck caught fire near Kalizora along NH10; TMC Minister Gautam Deb spent no time in accusing the Gorkhas for his death.

It is important for the larger public to understand that the Gorkha protest started peacefully, initially to oppose the imposition of Bengali Language as compulsory teaching in all the schools and later took a bigger form when the Gorkhas revived their 110 years old movement for the separate state of Gorkhaland. Violence actually started due the lathi charges and shooting of June 17 on the peaceful protestors by security forces and consequent death of the three Gorkhas. Therefore, who is the culprit here? Who is responsible for the subsequent violence that ravaged the entire hills of Gorkhaland (Darjeeling)?

My bigger concern, however, is: why are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans so excited to shoot? Why do they resort to violence when the protesters are unarmed and protesting peacefully? Who orders them to shoot? Why do they shoot only on the heads and not on other parts of the body? Is the state government via District Magistrate gives order to shoot or is it the larger and murkier ploy of the Central Government.

We really need to delve upon these questions, discuss them seriously and seek for the answers.

And lastly, if Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) shoots on its own without the order of the State or Central Government, let these jokers be sent to the borders. Let them replace the Gorkhas there. Let them fight the Pakistani terrorists. Let them fight the Chinese. Killing unarmed protesters doesn't make them security force. I don't think these cowards will stand more than 24 hours on the border!
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Added on 12 July, 2017: One more (Ashok Tamang)  succumbed to bullet injuries on 11th morning making the total death to 08.

Political Profile of Darjeeling District and Adjoining Duars

Look at the Political profile of Darjeeling. I may have missed here and there but this is by and large a rough political path traversed by Darjeeling and its neighbouring geographical milieu in the last three centuries.

Looking at this profile, do you think Darjeeling-Duars should be a part of West Bengal? Why should there should be any problem for the TMC led government of West Bengal to recognise and respect the Gorkhas' demand for a separate state of #Gorkhaland consisting of Darjeeling District (Kalimpong included) and the Duars region?

Prior to

1706:                The present district of Darjeeling was part of the Kingdom of Sikkim.

1706:                Kalimpong hills along with the adjoining Duars were annexed by Bhutan.

1800:                Darjeeling along with its adjoining hills (Kurseong) and adjacent Terai (Siliguri) was taken over by Nepal.

1835:                Darjeeling along with its adjoining hills (Kurseong) was ceded to British India.

1850:                The adjoining Terai (Siliguri) was taken over by British India and included in Jalpaiguri District

1865:                Kalimpong hills along with adjoining Duars were annexed by British India and included in Jalpaiguri district.

1866:                The hills of Kalimpong were included in Darjeeling district leaving the Duars

under Jalpaiguri district.

1880:                Siliguri was taken out from Jalpaiguri and included in Darjeeling district giving final shape to the Darjeeling district.

1905:                The district in the present shape (including KPG) was included in the Bhagalpur

of Bihar (Undivided Bengal).

1912:                The district was included in the Rajshahi (now in Bangladesh).

1947:                After the independence, the district was put under the state of West Bengal.

Therefore, 'banga bhanga hobena' has little logical meaning. 

Gorkhaland: Need of the hour

Critics/Detractors/Enemies of the separate state of #Gorkhaland have following three major reasons to argue against the division of West Bengal:

1) Small Geographical Area and Population of Darjeeling Region

This is one of the very important factors often debated in mainstream policy and academic circles against the formation of Gorkhaland. However, this argument is unfounded and has little rationality. Take a look at the figures of two smallest states of India.

Sikkim
Geographical Area: 7096 Sq KM
Population: 6.5 Lakh (2011)
Arable area: 11%
81% of the total geographical area of Sikkim is under Forest Department.

Goa
Geographical Area: 3702 Sq KM
Population: 18 Lakh (2011)

Proposed Gorkhaland (Dists of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Bengal Dooars)
Geographical Area: 7217 Sq KM
Population: More than 40 Lakh (2011)
Arable land: over 50%

Are area and population, therefore, reason why #Gorkhaland should not be created?

2) Darjeeling is an integral part of West Bengal and there is no question of bifurcation

The Bengali politicians, journalists and even Bengali academics mostly throw this argument. Any conscious and informed citizen of India knows that Darjeeling along with its adjoining Dooars/Terai was never part of the larger political/administrative landscape of Bengal till mid 19th Century. Therefore, this theory has no relevance and can be challenged left, right and center!

3) Strategic location of Darjeeling Hills and National Security Concerns

This is the most important theory often put forth by the #Gorkhaland detractors both in New Delhi and Kolkata. However, this theory is also groundless and desperately propagated by the vested interests.

In fact, forcefully keeping Darjeeling-Dooars region with its unique history, socio-culture and economy within West Bengal posses serious national security threat to the country. The region is a melting pot of ethnic diversity. It is dynamic in nature and evolving with time. However, Bengal government in the last 60 years has systematically destroyed the dynamic socio-cultural, economic and political fabrics of the region by 1) resettling the Bangladeshi refugees in the region and 2) by massively encouraging illegal Bangladeshi migrants in North Bengal particularly in the Darjeeling-Dooars region.

The Report of Darjeeling Terai Settlement (1891) by Sasi Bhusan Dutt clearly highlights that there was not a single Bengali soul on the soil of Darjeeling Terai during the period.

Resettlement of Bangladeshi refugees and massive illegal migration in the strategically located Darjeeling-Dooars region in the last 60 years has seriously compromised the security of the nation as well as human security of the region.

Contrariwise, therefore, it is only after the separation from Bengal and formation of a separate state of #Gorkhaland that the security of the nation and the region can be truly ensured!

Mamata Banerjee, Narendra Modi PMO India : Now you say, why should there be no separate state of #GORKHALAND comprising of Darjeeling and Dooars region? What stops you from fulfilling the century long demands of the #Gorkhas of #Darjeeling and their brothers/sisters in #Dooars?

Demographic composition of Darjeeling Terai at the end of 19th Century:

Gorkha/Nepali:    26.9%


Lepcha:               3.0%


Bhutia:                1.1%


Others:               68.9% 

Bengali:              0.0%



.... and they say the #Gorkhas are migrants! 🤣

Separate state of Gorkhaland within India is not as big a thing as Bengalis might be thinking and trying to make

We should understand that a separate state within India is not as big a thing as we might be thinking and trying to make. Everything will remain the same. Only the governance will change.#Gorkhas are not taking the land anywhere!

We will all co-exist, walk together and work together. Adibasis, Bengalis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gorkhas, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and others will all benefit equally from the new state. We all know how the northern part of West Bengal has been neglected by the successive regimes over the years.

In fact, majority of us are open to change the name of the State and make it representative of all the inhabitants living in the new state. There is no hard and fast rule that it has to be called #Gorkhaland. We are also open with regard to the first chief minister....it can be a Bengali Chief Minister, a Rajbonshi, Lepcha, Bhutia, Marwari, Muslim or a Gorkha. It hardly matters to us.

Our Bengali friends in Siliguri and our friends in the adjoining Duars should understand this and extend their support to the movement. A new state in the region is a win-win situation for all!

Nationalism of the Gorkhas and Issues of Bangladeshi Infiltration into West Bengal

Gorkhas’ have submitted memorandums many times, in the last 40 years, to scrap Article 7 of the Indo-Nepal peace treaty (1950). It reads as follows: ‘The Governments of India and Nepal agree to grant, on a reciprocal basis, to the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature’.

Indian Gorkhas have never been happy with Article 7 and, therefore, one of the main objectives, among others, of Gorkhaland Movement of the 1980s led by late Subash Ghishing was to scrap the Treaty.

This is the level of nationalism and loyalty of the Indian Gorkhas towards their country.

Now look at the case of West Bengal!
The Indo-Bangladesh border is a closed border and there is no free movement across. But if you look at the demographic trend of W. Bengal particularly in North Bengal in the last 70 years, you will be surprised!

The partition of the country led to large-scale resettlement of the Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh in the region. That is absolutely fine. It was need of the time.

However, after the creation of Bangladesh in the early 1970s, there has been a large-scale illegal immigration of the Bangladeshis into the State of West Bengal often encouraged by the successive state governments! Ironically, Mamata Banerjee, recently, even threatened Mr Modi to dare touch a Bangladeshi let alone repatriating her/him to Bangladesh.

You will be surprised to know that the percentage share of Hill populace in Darjeeling district has continuously gone down over the years. The share was around 72% in 1951; it went down to 65% by 1961, 54% by 1981, and 49% by 2011. Actually, the hills populace largely represented by the Gorkhas, are fast becoming minority in the district. This is what figures in the successive Census of India reports indicate!

The citizens of the country need to understand this double standard of West Bengal for the larger national security interest of the Country. This is a grave concern for all of us and India needs to seriously think and debate on this.