Gorkhaland Movement is basically an attempt on the part of Gorkhas to secure the identity of Nepali speaking Indian citizens, as being of this land [rai-thane in Nepali language], and belonging to these lands and nation. There is a decidedly severe misconceptions among certain sections of the country, some deliberately and some out of malice, which argues that Gorkhas are foreigners. But history stands witness to the fact that the Gorkhas were ceded into the Indian Union, along with Territory in which generations of our ancestors dwelled and thrived.
The Gorkhaland Movement of 1980s draws its inspiration from the forced ousting of over 1 Lakh Gorkhas from the North East States due to the “bhumiputra” wave. The Gorkhas were left helpless, as we did not have a state of our own, and we didn’t have any protection. It may also have been due to the influence of Sikkim becoming 22nd State of India in mid-1970s.
Since the inception of Gorkhaland Movement, along with the demand for a State, several other alternative demands also get brought up – Sixth Schedule, Schedule Tribe Status, merger with Sikkim etc.
In the recent press conference, the GTA Board of Administrators Chief Binoy Tamang stated that he has approached the West Bengal CM for “ensuring the security, and to find a permanent solution to the long-pending political aspirations of the Indian Gorkhas.”
But he seems to lack concrete explanation, as to what would be the “solution” that can solve the political aspirations and secure Identify of Gorkhas in India?
After analyzing all the various proposals and the current political environment, I feel that implementation of an Inner Line Permit (ILP) system would be best solution for our region, at the moment. ILP will not only protect our resources, but will equally help to strengthen national security, as we fall in four international boarders.
If we look the historical background of IPL, the states with international boarders is one of the main criteria among others, and we are the only region in India, that shares four international border – Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Tibet (China). Perhaps, if we could properly explain to the State and the Center, this will be best solution for our region.
Let us have a common voice and let’s think about it once.
[Writes: Tenzin Kungphel]
Inner Line Permit
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