“FOREIGNER” – The tag that hounds Gorkhas (and Sikkimese Nepalis)

Not sure, how many of you may have heard of Moni Kumar Subba. At one point in time, he was one of the wealthiest and most influential politicians from Assam. He was elected as the Member of Parliament thrice in the 12th, 13th and the 14th Lok Sabha from 1998 to 2009.

Back in 1997, the former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta had alleged MK Subba to be a citizen of Nepal, and even initiated a CBI query against him, a few months before he won the Lok Sabha election for the first time from Tezpur constituency in 1998. The issue of his citizenship prolonged. In 2007, one Ashok Kumar Subba, who was at that time a leader of the Janata Party lodged a complaint once again claiming that MK Subba was born in Nepal.

He lost the 2009 elections, and CBI despite taking over a decade could not prove him a citizen of Nepal.

Chamling Questioned

We know, Pawan Kumar Chamling as one of the longest serving Chief Ministers of Sikkim. Yet in 2009, BJP leaders accused PK Chamling of holding a dual citizenship. In fact, BJP leader Harendra Pratap, who was then in-Charge of BJP Affairs in the eight North-Eastern States went further and accused Chamling of being a votary of ‘Greater Nepal’ and that he has links with Nepal Maoists.

In 2018, one Padam Prakash Sharma repeated the allegations, claiming Chamling is a citizen of Nepal and should be disqualified, and in September 2018, Delhi High Court sought directions from the Central Government. This was also a few months before Sikkim elections, which were to be held in April 2019.

Incidentally, SDF lost the 2019 elections and paved way for the SKM government to be formed. That case has now gone hush.

Anit – A word of caution

The allegations against Anit Thapa are not new. They had surfaced prior to 2021 elections, and are again being repeated as the West Bengal Assembly elections are near.

Those who have followed my writings over the years, will know, I will be the last person to defend Anit Thapa. However, having seen politics much closer than most people do, I have come to realize that, alleging a Gorkha politician of being a “foreigner – citizen of Nepal” is the easiest way to dent their reputation.

Not that Anit Thapa has a stellar reputation, however, I personally feel that, those making such allegations, should have a more solid grounds to stand on.

Of course, it is your right to know, and of course it is your right to find answers to if someone occupying the post of a cabinet Minister is actually a citizen of our nation or not. But speak about it, once you have concrete proof, if Anit is an Indian citizen or not. Merely pandering the allegations, that too, based on allegations made by an obscure website in Nepal, and doing press release followed by press releases, doesn’t help anyone, other than your politics.

It may perhaps help, if those making such allegations reflected on the fact that, every such allegations against Gorkha politicians, harms the “Gorkha identity” further, and by extension, all Gorkhas (including the Sikkimese Nepalis) are viewed with suspicion.