Gorkhas in India: Are they being given their due?

Pinky Pradhan , 11 January 2008, Friday

THE ONCE silent hills of Darjeeling, has grabbed the attention of the central government and Indian Nepali diaspora. From being a sleepy tourist town, the towering hills are being ravaged by demands from two dissentious groups: the implementation of sixth schedule status versus a separate statehood - ‘Gorkhaland’. The angst however, is not limited within Darjeeling itself. Sizeable Indian Nepali populations from states like Delhi, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim and others are closely taking part in it. Questions like –‘can the tag of being honest feed us? Can tourism be an year-long industry for feeding the people? And can the sixth schedule remove all barriers?’ mirror their anguish.

“I was born in Assam and have my roots there, but this doesn’t stop me from supporting the demand for a long overdue ‘Gorkhaland’”, says Dhiren Thapa, a college student presently studying in Delhi.

Let us take a minute and question ourselves as to why the peace-loving ethnic Nepalis / Gorkhas are all of a sudden demanding a separate statehood? Is it just a passing fashion or an attempt by ambitious politicians to raise their profile and votes? Is it really about ‘statehood’?

I think the issue is much deeper; the angst beyond what is obvious. Whether we like to hear about it or not, but the truth is, Nepalis have been the subject of racist jokes and ridicule. Be it in movies or TV serials, Nepalis are always shown as characters playing the part of a ‘chowkidaar’ with a very funny ‘shaab jee’ accent. As if they are not capable of anything else.

This stereotyping was clearly visible, when recently an RJ of a popular radio passed unsavoury comments on the newly crowned Indian Idol, Prashant Tamang from Darjeeling.

This abuse is not limited to the periphery of media alone. Even reputed schools and colleges are said to discriminate students with regard to their ethnicity. “I clearly remember how my teacher used to single me out and call me names based on my Nepali ethnicity. My classmates and the local guys used to tease me calling me names such as ‘kanchee’, it was a very humiliating experience”, recounts Padma Pradhan from Guwahati, Assam. It is also unfortunate that the gorkhas or ‘doaars’ have been abused as aliens in their own country by some of the so-called anti-social elements of North Bengal.

Therefore, for the common Nepali the status of Darjeeling as Gorkhaland is a symbol of hope and resurgence. But the irony is - nobody cares for the hopes, aspiration and conflicting identity of millions of Indian Nepalis.

Let us now re-focus ourselves on Darjeeling. Statements like, ‘Darjeeling, is it in Meghalaya?’ ‘I like Darjeeling tea’, ‘what a great place for budget tourists’ are very common statements made by the ignorant country fellowmen. Can people look at Darjeeling beyond a tourist destination and a tea-vending hill? Why can’t people acknowledge that it is also the land, which sings songs of valour and has a position of pride in the Indian Defence forces? Even a minority community like ‘gujjars’ from north India captures the main national headlines and imagination of all than the decade-long agitation of the gorkhas.

Let us admit that Darjeeling is in a state of shambles. Unemployment is rampant in the absence of avenues apart from the tea and tourism industry (even the tea industry is facing the problem of lockouts). The only resort left for many is to migrate to bigger cities and metros and join the BPOs (business process outsourcing) - the back-office destination. May be we ourselves are to be blamed for this deprived state or is it the stereotyping by our country fellowmen. There may be many arguments but one thing is for sure, if we let things remain just as they are then surely we are ought to dig our own graves.

During the recent GJM (Gorkha Jana Mukti) meeting, the delegates quoted that statehood is the only solution to the ongoing problems and that it would fulfil the age-old demand of the Indian gorkhas. Whether Darjeeling is granted statehood or the sixth schedule is implemented, that only time will tell us. Meanwhile, my fingers are crossed.

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