Taking strong exception to a racist reporting by a Kolkata-based newspaper Khabar 365 Din, which had labelled entire hill people as “Baimaan Pahadbasira – Crooks hill people” GTA Chairman Anit Thapa protested against the paper and its editor.
In a press released issued today, Mr. Anit Thapa has said, “I strongly protest against the offensive headline used by a Bengali newspaper, in which they have labelled various Boards as being ‘Baimaan”.
He further said, ‘I want to convey to the editor, that the hill people didn’t vote for BJP, rather they have voted for Gorkhaland, and even we respect the Gorkhaland issue.”
Defending the various community specific boards, he said, “The Development Boards have also done their best, but the results are because, the hill people have decided to support Gorkhaland over the development issue.”
Making an appeal to Bengali vernacular dailies, he said, “I request entire Bengali newspapers to stop name calling the entire hill people, and to stop blaming and scolding them.”
At the end, he stated, “To vote is everyone’s right, and they have exercised their right in favour of Gorkhaland.”
Here is the full release in Nepali…
एउटा बंगाली समाचार पत्रले आफ्नो एउटा समाचारको शीर्षकमा बेइमान भनेर लेखेको तथा जीटीएक्षेत्रका विभिन्न बोर्डहरूलाई विभिन्न प्रकारको आरोप लगाएको विषयलाई लिएर म घोर प्रतिवाद जनाउँदछु।
उक्त समाचार पत्रका सम्पादकलाई म यो पनि भन्न चाहन्छु कि पहाडका मानिसहरूले भाजपालाई हैन तर गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दालाई भोट दिएका हुन् अनि गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दाप्रतिको उक्त समर्थनलाई हामी सम्मान पनि गर्दछौं।
डेभलोभमेन्ट बोर्डहरूले पनि चुनाउमा आफ्नो तर्फबाट हुने हरेक प्रयास गरेकै हुन् तर पहाडवासीको निम्ति विकासभन्दा ठूलो गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा भएकोले गर्दा उक्त परिणति निस्किएको हो।
यसैले म समग्र बंगाली समाचार पत्रहरूलाई तृणमूल कंग्रेसलाई भोट नलगाएकोमा दार्जीलिगं पहाडका मतदाताहरूलाई गाली वा विभिन्न आरोपहरू लगाउन बन्द गरिदिने अपील गर्दछु।
मतदान गर्नु सबैको व्यक्तिगत अधिकार हो अनि उनीहरूले आफ्नो मतदान गोर्खाल्याण्डको निम्ति दिएका हुन्अनित थापा
महासचिवगोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा, केन्द्रिय समिति।’
As our readers may recall, we had yesterday highlighted how Khabar 365 Din, which is seen as a TMC Mouthpiece, had denigrated the entire hill people by labelling us as being “Baimaan Pahadbasira“.
We are hopeful, other social and political leaders, thinkers and academics too will outrage over this gross display of anti-Hill people racism on the part of a chauvinistic editor of Khabar 365 Din.
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