The century-long evolution of the demand for a Gorkha state, Pg19

Key Highlights:

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs recently formed a high-level committee to devise a framework for a "permanent political solution" to the Gorkha issue.
• This decision followed a meeting involving Gorkha leaders, the Home Minister, and West Bengal government representatives.
• The demand for a separate administrative identity for Gorkhas dates back over a century, originating in 1907 with the Darjeeling Hillmen’s Association.
• The region, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Terai, and Dooars, is culturally, ethnically, and linguistically distinct from the rest of West Bengal.
• Major unrest occurred in 2017, lasting 104 days, following the West Bengal government's announcement of mandatory Bengali language in state schools.

Detailed Insights:

• The movement for a separate Gorkha identity began with a petition to the Minto-Morley Reforms Committee in 1907, seeking separation from Bengal.
• Further appeals were made to the Simon Commission in 1929 and British officials for an alternative governance system like a Chief Commissioner’s Province.
• In 1947, the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) formally submitted a memorandum for "Gorkhasthan."
• The demand gained prominence in the 1980s under Subhas Ghising, founder of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), leading to the creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in 1988.
• The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), formed by Bimal Gurung in 2007, reignited the statehood demand, replacing the DGHC with the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2011.
• The new committee is mandated to examine constitutional, legal, and administrative frameworks, financial assistance, and the grant of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 Gorkha communities.
• The 2017 protests led to a split in Gorkha politics, with the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), aligned with the Trinamool Congress, winning the 2022 GTA elections.
• Despite local political shifts, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has maintained its hold on parliamentary and state assembly seats in the Darjeeling region.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Permanent Political Solution: A long-term, stable resolution to a political issue, often involving constitutional or administrative changes.
• Semi-autonomous Body: A governing entity that possesses a degree of self-governance but remains under the ultimate authority of a larger political unit.
• Scheduled Tribe (ST) Status: A constitutional recognition in India that provides certain communities with affirmative action benefits and protections.