Skip to content Skip to navigation

Massive gathering in support of Gorkhaland at Jantar Mantar

It was a historic gathering of thousands of Gorkhas at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi at the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh's Gorkha Samavesh to press for the creation of a separate state of for the Gorkhas in India.In addition to a huge congregation of Parisangh members, almost one thousand activists of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, led by its General Secretary R B Rai, also participated in the gathering. The National Federation of Small States was represented at the rally by its coordinator P Niroop of Telangana and actor-politician Raja Bundela, who is spearheading the movement for Bundelkhand.

Also sharing the dais with the BGP were the Sikkim Prajatantrik Congress and the Gorkha Democratic Front of Uttarakhand.

Even as Jantar Mantar was resounding to Gorkhaland slogans, the programme to send faxes in favour of a new state continued to clog the offices of the President, Prime Minister and the Lok Sabha Speaker. Thousands of faxes have been sent from all over India to complement the Gorkha Samavesh at Jantar Mantar. At one point of time, the Lok Sabha Speaker's staff called Parisangh officials to complain about the faxes reaching their office. They even threatened to disconnect the fax machine, but were firmly reminded that it was the constitutional right of all citizens to contact their public representatives.

The proceedings at Jantar Mantar began with a rousing singing of the BGP's Jagaran Geet and Jantar Mantar was awash in the blue flag of the Parisangh and the red ones of the CPRM. The representatives of the Parisangh's 22 state units offered soil and water from their states at the statue of Shaheed Durga Malla of the INA installed at Jantar Mantar. The soil and water were used to plant saplings that will now travel to the 22 states to be replanted at important Gorkha landmarks there.

Among the large number of Gorkhas at Jantar Mantar were retired armed officials, bureaucrats, academics, professionals, cultural and literary icons and artistes.

BGP Secretary General Sukhman Moktan reminded the country that Gorkhas had played a stellar role in the freedom struggle and even now defends the borders. Yet they have had to live in their motherland with their nationality constantly being questioned. He said the demand for a new state was not about economic development of Darjeeling and Dooars but about the political identity of 12.5 million-strong Indian Gorkha community.

Former Lok Sabha member R B Rai, general secretary of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, said that the sacrifices of the Indian Gorkhas had to be recognised by the country and that it was important to make Delhi the focus of the movement for Gorkhaland. He said the time had come to unite and fight for Gorkhaland and committed himself and his party to the attainment of a separate state for Indian Gorkhas.

Comments

YK Shrestha's picture

After Independence, Gorkhas were the only indigenious community in the North-East who were deprived of a seperate state. Justice has to be done now!!
kamal pradhan's picture

Gorkhas have a huge contribution in the freedom movement of india, should enjoy equal status as other communities in india
krishna kr. pradhan's picture

I fail to understand the Parishangha's demand for Gorkhaland. I came to know that Parishangha is demanding Gorkhaland without specifying any area in the Indian Union. Which, I think, is no State Government will carve out their territory to create Gorkhaland. But , I strongly belief that we should concentrate on one point and one goal. The need of the hour is that We all the Gorkha/Nepali of India should support GJM movement for separate Gorkhaland

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

3 NDFB militants arrested

7 Feb 2013 - 12:02pm | AT News
urity forces arrested three NDFB cadres in Guwahati on Wednesday night. The trio were picked up during a joint operation at the Inter State Bus Terminal in Guwahati and nabbed the militants on the...

Thunderstruck kills 1,left 2 injuries

31 Mar 2019 - 10:51pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
At least two persons died and two others received serious injuries due to thunderstorm struck in lower Assam's Chirang and Barpeta districts on Sunday. A 16 year old girl died and two others...

Career Counselling at Diyungbra

23 Mar 2011 - 12:28am | editor
In a bid to sensitise students on various career opportunities .North East Youth Foundation (NEYF) had organised a Career Counselling Programme at St Xavier’s School in Diyungbra in the Dima...

Prodyut Bora to deliver GPC Lecture

31 Dec 2013 - 6:15pm | Nava Thakuria
Promising young activist and scholar Prodyut Bora will deliver GPC Lecture tomorrow (Jan 1, 2014) at 3 pm in the Guwahati Press Club (GPC) auditorium. An IIM graduate and presently a national...

Other Contents by Author

He played soccer like any other next door guy, cricket never could fascinate him and barely at 7 he donned the boxing gloves that brought international gold medal for the nation and glory for the 16 years old boxer from Assam. Promising young Indian boxer Shiva Thapa in an exclusive interview with Nanda Kirati Dewan at his Birubari residence in Guwahati spoke his heart out. In a reply to a question “If not a boxer What would Shiva Thapa be?”….. After a pause with a sweet innocent smile “Sir, I was born to be a Boxer.” Recently Shiva won a bronze medal at the World Junior Boxing Championship in Armenia. Here are the excerpts of interview NKD: Shiva,...
Seven people killed and more than 50 injured, eight of them in critical condition, when a powerful bomb exploded next to Maligaon city bus stand in Maligoan Chariali area in Guwahati on Monday afternoon. Several students are among the injured, as the Maligaon Primary School is situated next to the bus stand. Police blamed the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for the attack and said it took place in the busy Maligaon area in Assam's main city Guwahati at around 1.45pm.Several motor cycles were gutted in the fire at the blast site. "The bomb was planted on a parked motorcycle," senior police official GP Singh said. "The blast comes a day before the ULFA (United Liberation...
Bimal Gurung, President Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) – the forefront political party demanding creation of a separate of Gorkhaland in India for establishing the Indian identity of Gorkhas delivering his speech at a convention of Gorkha organisations of North East India at Pragjyoti ITA Machkhowa in Guwahati said that Gorkhaland is not only for Darjeeling but also for North East. He elaborated the activities of formation of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM) and its Gandhism principle to achieve Gorkhaland by 2010.Earlier Dil Bahadur Limboo, President All Assam Gorkha Students Union(AAGSU) announced moral support for the creation of a separate state Gorkhaland in India. Gorkhaland cannot...
At the convocation ceremony of the Tax Return Preparers (TRPs), with Skill augmentation for filing of TDS and ITR forms held in the city today; Member, Revenue, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Mrs. Saroj Bala along with Mr. Kalyan Chand, Director General of Income Tax (Admin) and Mr. Vipul Rastogi, Head – Enterprise Solutions (India), NIIT felicitated the students and certified them as ‘Tax Return Preparers’.TRPS is an initiative by the Department of Income Tax, Government of India to increase awareness of tax laws by enhancing community participation, with NIIT being mandated to train the certified Tax Return Preparers (TRPs) across the country. The success of this drive...
Amway Opportunity Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd, unveiled Project Sunrise in Guwahati today. This project is part of the global welfare initiative for the less privileged child. AOF will partner Guwahati Blind High School, for a three-year period. At a formal function at Guwahati Blind School Mr. Bickramjit Paul, Area Manager, Northeast,Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd and member of Amway Opportunity Foundation flagged off “Project Sunrise” by presenting Braille Text Books and educational aid to Bhaven Barman, Coordinator, Guwahati Blind High School. Also present were AOF representatives, children and other teachers...
Having suffered the barbs of being erroneously described as settlers and foreigners, the Indian Gorkhas have long been demanding the creation of a state for Gorkhas in India. Such a state would reassert their identity as Indians and clear all misconceptions about their origins and nationality. Residents of India since pre-Mughal times and participants in large numbers in the Freedom Struggle, the Gorkhas of India feel that their being misconstrued as citizens of another country has denied them a fuller role in Indian national life. A state called Gorkhaland would help reiterate their Indianness and bring them fully into the mainstream.The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, a national organization...
State got its first private university as Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday formally inaugurating the State's first private university, the Don Bosco University, at a function held at the Don Bosco School auditorium.Noted educationist Prof K Sudha Rao, former VC of Karnataka State Open University delivering the key note address, said that the nation building process will gather speed if the younger population of the country, more than any other age group, is properly trained and groomed. Rao while lauding the initiative of opening a private university said that it was a sign of prosperity for the coming years to the North East States and Assam in particular. Speaking on the occasion,...
Following late night deadliest suicidal terrorist attack in Mumbai the economic capital of the country the England Cricket Board (ECB) decided to call back home their team. The ongoing 7-match Hero Honda Cup India - England ODI series also has been called off. In particular the Guwahati match has been called off was confirmed by Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Secretary Bikash Baruah this afternoon. In a press meet in Guwahati today at 3 pm ACA said that they will incur a loss of around 80 lakhs and they will claim the insurance company. ACA will also ask BCCI for legal procedures to reimburse the losses. ACA refused to comment on other aspect of the issue. However sources confirmed that...
Prof Mahendra P Lama, Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University has been appointed as a Member of the prestigious National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) by the National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister. NSAB is an important element of the National Security Council system with the main function of advising the Government on security related issues. It is a multi-disciplinary body comprising a Chairman and persons of eminence from outside the Government with expertise in the fields of foreign affairs, defence, economics, science and technology, intelligence, internal security, media and related areas.Prof Lama a development economist by profession is the youngest member of the NSAB. He has...
A six member delegation of Assam Press Correspondent Union (APCU) today met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and submitted a memorandum demanding adequate compensation to killed scribe and books the culprits. The Amar Asom correspondent from Kokrajhar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants on 22nd November 2008 in day light in Kokrajhar. APCU also demanded that the responsibility of the education of the girl child should be borned by the government and provide a government aided job to the victim's wife. The 30 year deceased journalist left behind a 2 year old girl child and his wife. According to Zuhakar Ali a member of APCU, the CM has declared a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh to the family of...