Anatomy of Ambition by Upendra examines how in trying to cling on-to power in a body nobody wants – GTA, Ajoy Edwards is coming across as power-hungry and doing himself a great dis-service.

In May of 2022, when the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections were declared, people in Darjeeling region saw it as West Bengal government’s attempt at legitimizing the illegitimate regime they had foisted upon the people. There was a near unanimous agreement that any such election should be boycotted.

The Gorkhaland andolan of 2017, and how it was subverted using “traitors” from among our own people, had left a lot of ill-will against the Trinamool Congress led West Bengal government.

Former Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders like Binoy Tamang, Anit Thapa, Sanchabir Subba along with the former Darjeeling MLA Amar Rai, Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma and a few others took control of GJM in the absence of Bimal Gurung. But they were regard as GJM 2 by the people in general.

From 2017 to 2022, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal ran the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration using proxies in the form of “Board of Administrators (BoA)”. Binoy Tamang was appointed as the BoA Chairman, with Anit Thapa as the BoA Deputy Chairman. Amar Rai, Sanchabir Subba, Anu Pradhan and J Khatoon were handed responsibilities of various departments on 2nd of Nov, 2017.

The defeat of TMC-GJM2 “Bhumiputra” candidate Amar Rai in the 2019 general elections,brought to fore the rifts in the GJM-2 camp. Further, the defeat of Binoy Tamang in 2019 MLA bye-elections and his unceremonious removal as the head of GJM-2 and GTA Board of Administrators Chairman in April of 2019 helped Anit Thapa consolidate his control over GJM-2.

With Anit finally in complete control, he played smart and gave up on the GJM2 label. He then started a new political outfit the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) or as they were popularly referred to as “Tantrik-Morcha” on 9th of Sept, 2021.

Once Anit was on a firm footing, TMC government in West Bengal started preparing grounds for conducting GTA elections.

That is when Ajoy Edwards announced the launch of his new political party, all the way from Ladakh. He made good on his words and launched “Hamro Party” on 25th of Nov, 2021.

By December 2024 Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma and Binoy Tamang were both shown the door by Anit, and they ended up joining TMC on 24th of Dec, 2021.

There was a near unanimous agreement among all all political parties with some history in Darjeeling, that the GTA elections should be boycotted. Other than the newly formed Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), which for all intent and purpose was viewed as TMC Team-B. Further legitimacy to the farcical GTA election was given by Edward’s Hamro Party, which contested the elections.

In the absence of any credible opposition, as expected BGPM won majority and Hamro Party also won some seats.

From a purely political perspective, had Hamro Party not contested the 2022 GTA elections, it would have automatically de-legitimized the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, and perhaps compelled the TMC government to negotiate actual autonomy with the hill people. With Edwards and his merry men contesting the elections, they provided credibility to the GTA elections, that was majorly rigged by Kolkata.

Now in 2026, Anit Thapa has resigned as GTA Chairman, along with some of his party Sabhasads. What is interesting to note is that neither Edwards or any of Hamro Party (which incidentally does not exist today) sabhasads have bothered to resign from the GTA Sabha. There is a very good chance that Edwards may end up becoming the GTA Chairman, thus fulfilling his long-held ambition of running the GTA (else why bother contesting an election everyone else had boycotted?).

Despite IGJF’s holier-than-though claims of them wanting to retain GTA Sabha to check on GTA corruption, the fact of the matter is that increased GTA budget allows whoever controls GTA to be in control of the political future of Darjeeling region.

All claims to contrary, there are strong indications that Edwards hopes it’s him in control of the GTA purse, and possibly the future of Darjeeling. Others may not see it, but a pattern definitely emerges.

We all remember the infamous episode, when the GNLF sent an e-mail to Mamata Banerjee calling for talks at the height of 2017 Gorkhaland Andolan. Recently a GNLF leader Sandeep Limbu highlighted that the email was in all likelihood sent from an address associated with Edward’s.

Glenary’s was the first major business establishment to defy 2017 Andolan strike and open their doors for business, at a time when entire Darjeeling was shut down, united in demanding Gorkhaland.

I have always admired Ajoy Da, and personally I respect him deeply. What I fear is that in trying to cling on-to power in a body nobody wants – GTA, he is coming across as power-hungry, and doing himself a great dis-service. If I was him, I would have been the first to call for resignation from GTA, and put pressure on BJP Government, both in the state and the center to form Gorkhaland state or UT.

Ambition, masked in the form of altruism is one of the greatest evils. Public toilets have been sold in Darjeeling by individuals portraying the “humble to earth” persona. Edwards’ ambition could be harmful for the greater Gorkha cause.

All should ponder. Most of all he.

The post ANATOMY OF AMBITION – Power-grab attempts behind altruism? appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Freebies and Financial Mess – The Cost of Populism by Upendra examines how West Bengal’s economy has suffered under Freebie culture

In 2011, when the CPIM government lost power in West Bengal they left behind a debt of around Rs 1.75 lakh crores. Over the 15 years the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has added another Rs 6.25 lakh crores to this debt. Today the total debt of West Bengal is around Rs 7.75- Rs 8 lakh cr­­ores. Institutionalised fiscal mismanagement, has today turned West Bengal into what many economists call a “financial hell-hole”, where public resources go to die a slow and painful death by freebies. Public money is being wasted on things that do not help the state in the long run.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government coming to power, there was hope that they would be more fiscally responsible, and they may be after six months in power. But as of today, they too seem to be eager to continuing down a similar path of unsustainable populism. The various freebies announced by the BJP pre-poll and their post-poll execution will significantly strain the state exchequer.

As of 2025 more than 2.2 crore women in West Bengal are getting money from the Laxmi Bhandar scheme. These women will also likely qualify to get Rs 3,000 per month from the “Annapurna Bhandar” scheme that the BJP has initiated. This will cost the state around Rs 79,200 crore every year.

There are also around 85 lakh unemployed youth who will get Rs 3,000 per month. This will cost the state further Rs 30,600 crore per year. The government also announced Rs 2,000 pensions for 45 lakh senior citizens and widows. This will cost an additional Rs 10,800 crore per year. These schemes alone will cost West Bengal over Rs 1.2 lakh crore every year.

The state is already paying a lot of money as interest on loans. In the year 2025-26 alone, West Bengal paid around Rs 50,000 crore as interest. This is an annually recurring cost that the government cannot avoid.

The Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari has said that the BJP government will continue all the welfare programmes started by the TMC. These include Kanyashree, which helps girls with education and costs Rs 16,554 crore. There is also Krishak Bandhu, which helps farmers and costs Rs 27,016 crore per year. Rupashree, which helps girls get married costs Rs 1,500 crore. Taruner Swapno, which gives tablets and smartphones to students costs Rs 1,000 crore per year. The state also spends around Rs 5,000 crore per year on schemes for Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities.

All these “welfare schemes” cost around Rs 2.25 lakh crore every year. This money is not used to develop infrastructure, create jobs or help the economy grow.

The states own revenue projections showcase the massive financial abyss the state is staring into. The tax revenue collection for the year 2026-27 is estimated to be around Rs 2.19 lakh crore. This means that West Bengal will not have money to cover all the “freebies” they are giving out. I have not even included the cost of running the government like salaries and pensions for employees, or funds needed for developing the state.

The inevitable result will be that West Bengal will have to resort to further borrowing from markets or the Central Government to bridge the widening fiscal gap.

This cycle of debt and freebies has persisted across governments in West Bengal for over a decade and a half. What began under the Left Front and intensified under TMC, now risks becoming continued under BJP.

For the BJP government to succeed where CPIM and TMC have failed, it must take hard decisions and channelize these unproductive capital into productive avenues. The people of West Bengal do not want freebies, they would rather the government invested in infrastructure, skill development, developing industries, provisioning better schools, colleges and university level education, and sustainable rural and urban growth that would generate genuine jobs and revenue.

West Bengal possesses immense potential, yet its strategic location with a young demographic raring to go remain under-utilised. Redirecting even a fraction of the Rs 2.25 lakh crore currently locked in cash transfers towards capital expenditure could transform the state’s economy. Without such a shift, the “fiscal hell-hole” will only deepen, burdening future generations with interest payments and stalled development.

The new government has a narrow window to break this cycle. It is advisable that instead of continued populism which will perpetuate financial ruin of the state, the government should focus on being prudent today to ensure prosperity for the citizens’ tomorrow.

The post Freebies and Financial Mess – The Cost of Populism appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

BJP May not be ready for Gorkhaland, Gorkhas are – Upendra argues we are capable enough to run our own state even if local BJP leaders may have doubts about their own abilities

A few days after winning elections, BJP Darjeeling District President Sanjeev Lama made a proclamation, “Gorkhas are not ready for Gorkhaland”. He defended the statement by saying that our youths need to be involved in politics and we need to remove the old-guards who have used “Gorkhaland sentiment” only as a tool for earning their livelihood. As if the political-suicide wasn’t over, Sanjeev Lama doubled down in a press meet and further said, “look around you won’t find a single, honest, capable Gorkha leader who is ready to be the Chief Minister”. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, so I watched that twice just to make sure what I heard was right.

Perhaps what he didn’t anticipate was the immediate question asked by the journalist present there, “Do you mean to say even Sanjeev Lama is not honest or capable of being a Chief Minister?”

In proclaiming that, there is not a single honest Gorkha capable of becoming a Chief Minister, perhaps Sanjeev forgot that he too is a Gorkha, and that he too could become the Chief Minister, if Gorkhaland state was formed.

But, what he said had me extremely worried.

He is a Gorkhaland premi, as much as you and I. He too had to go underground following the 2017 Andolan. He parted ways with Bimal Gurung when Bimal supported Mamata Banerjee in 2021. So Sanjeev is who has remained true to the Gorkha cause. But imagine, what kind of political realization must have he come to, to be so convinced, that there’s not a single honest Gorkha, capable of leading Gorkhaland statehood.

This brings me to a greater worry.

If BJP District President is convinced that Gorkhas are not ready for Gorkhaland, who else is convinced similarly? Does this chain of thought extend to MP Raju Bista, Home Minister Amit Shaha and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well, or is this line of thought confined to Kolkata-BJP alone?

Way before any of us were born, our ancestors understood the need for a separate administrative set-up for the Gorkhas, which is why the demand for autonomy for our region extends back to 1907. When gentle reminders didn’t work, it led to the 1986-88 andoland for Gorkhaland statehood. Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was established in 1988, which failed to meet the aspirations of the people. This resulted in Gorkhaland statehood demands from 2007-2011, in 2013 after Telangana was formed, and in 2017 after West Bengal government under TMC tried to make impose Bengali language on the Gorkhas.

Over the decades I have been on this planet, I have seen Gorkha people mature politically, economically, educationally and in every other way possible.

Today Gorkhas are everywhere, from being Scientists in ISRO to teaching in IITs and IIMs, from flying fighter-jets to conducting path-breaking research top universities in India and internationally. Gorkhas are some of the top ranked Army Officers and academics, actors, singers, administrators and what not.

What they lack is a political space.

Be honest to yourself, can a Gorkha ever aspire to be the Chief Minister of West Bengal? Since Independence, name one Gorkha Minister in the Central Government?

Despite being capable in every other way, we – the Gorkhas have been sidelined politically. Which is why, this need and demand for Political autonomy exists.

BJP may think that Gorkhas are not ready for Gorkhaland, but Gorkhas know, we are. However, in articulating this, perhaps the BJP District President is hinting at the fact that BJP may renege on their pre-poll promise, which they have been making since 2009.

As the American writer Robert G. Ingersoll once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but to test the character, give him power…”

Perhaps, after coming to Power, BJP is starting to show their true character. Beware Gorkhas.

The post BJP May Not be Ready for Gorkhaland, Gorkhas Are! appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The West Bengal election results have been good for the people of Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region. Maybe for the first time in the Assembly of West Bengal, we will have as many as five representatives. Everyone who desired for the regime change in West Bengal is rejoicing. The reasons for celebrating the results were many and legitimate, from a particular lens but if the larger picture is analysed then probably this result may not lead to the political change that the people have expected. 

The argument I am making is my own, the result of my volition and judgment of the situation. Not everyone may agree with it, but I sincerely hope that the rational and level-headed among us will give it a thought. Irrespective of how many representatives we have, and irrespective of the party in power, the West Bengal Assembly will not favour the creation of Gorkhaland state. 

The demand for the creation of Gorkhaland is based on the ethnic, cultural and linguistic differences we have with the rest of West Bengal. For many in Kolkata Darjeeling is a very important region in their imagination. They consider Darjeeling as an integral part of their legacy and history, which is based on a false understanding of history. It was a part of Nepal and Sikkim, in different periods in history and was ‘gifted’ by the Raja of Sikkim to the erstwhile British rulers. They seem to obliterate this from the history they refer to and create, when discussing the political situation in Darjeeling. I do not blame them for this. They are doing a duty towards their community and politics. The point is, we should also do our duty.

What is our duty then? Our duty is to unite and become one and brainstorm and redesign our demand and put it across the power corridors of Delhi and Kolkata. Can we do this? I do not think so. We cannot do this because there are too many factions and divisions among us. We have become pawns in the hands of the powerful. Darjeeling was so strong, politically, at one point in time because we were united and no leader from Kolkata would dare challenge us. It was also evident from the fact that every political parties trying to contest from Darjeeling would agree to our terms and conditions as alliance partners.

Till now, politiians in Darjeeling have been running around to make material gains, instead of striving for our collective aspirations. But the time for change has come. Now is the time to bury all our hatchets and join our hands in solidarity to fight for the creation of Gorkhaland. If the leaders still think only of themselves and not the cause, then we as Gorkhas will lose our existence and the cause of Gorkhaland will be lost forever.

The change in the politics of West Bengal has created a greater challenge for us. There will be a lot of materialistic development in our region, but there will be no concrete solution to our demand, except that we will become homo economicus-an entrepreneur of ourselves and eminently governable. Therefore, it is time we go back to the slogan that used to vibrate in the hills “Party Bhanda Jati Thulo, Jati Bhanda Mato”.

The public has to show the way, use their agency and force all the leaders to come together once again and move together towards our goal. We as a collective have committed many mistakes, knowingly and unknowingly but it is time that we act by forgetting the past mistakes but learning from it, understanding the present and preparing for the future. It is time that we push the shove together and with conviction for the shake of Gorkhaland.

Jai Gorkhaland!

The post Gorkhas Time to Unite for Gorkhaland is Now appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Gorkha Politicians, if you guys really want to ensure Gorkha welfare – come together and work together. Your unity will strengthen the Gorkha cause – writes Upendra

BJP has won a historic mandate in West Bengal, and they are now in control of the state and the center. Soon they will control all the municipalities and panchayats as well. Having closely observed BJP and how they function, it is more than likely, they will introduce a fiscally liberal, but socially and politically conservative regime.

They will attract and encourage private investments in all sectors, the will build roads, highways, and provide basic infrastructure, even in remotest of places. They will be good for generating employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, and for providing a government that actually works for the people. For a state like West Bengal, which has been governed in a mafia like style with violence, threat intimidation, BJP will provide a welcome alternative.

However, I am worried, that this massive mandate will enable BJP to run the state in a vice-like grip. This may not bode well for ethnic minorities like the Gorkhas. While BJP has said they will ensure Constitutional Solution, but such arrangements may once again fail to meet our expectation. What happens then?

We have a window of six months maximum, in which we can still leverage our collective issues. But divided voices will drown out our demands. Hence, it will be prudent for Gorkhas to come together and unite.

I am writing this as a warning to all Gorkha politicians. You will not be able to save regionalism, or a space for Gorkhas, if you hand-over your autonomy to a national party, just because you cannot keep your ego aside against your own brother and blood. Your divisions has already benefited Bengal. If you continue to divide, we will continue to be governed from Kolkata and Delhi, not Darjeeling.

The only way we can protect our autonomy, and all of your political future as well, is by uniting. Bimal Gurung, Anit Thapa, Ajoy Edwards and Mann Ghising, if you guys really want to ensure Gorkha welfare – come together and work together. Your unity will strengthen the Gorkha cause. Keep your ego aside. Keep old hurts aside. Merge and form a strong united front. Don’t allow yourselves to be used against each other by Kolkata or Delhi anymore.

The post GORKHA POLITICIANS – If you want to save regionalism, merge appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Chana Ghotala, also widely known as “chana dal ghotala” is causing the flutter in the Darjeeling region. There are allegations that nearly 14000 Metric Tonne of Chana/Dal allocated to the GTA has gone missing

We have with us a set of official documents, shared with us by IGJF leaders. We have compiled these documents into a timeline, along with supporting letters and email correspondence.

Together, these indicate a sequence of rapid and potentially irregular administrative actions by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Darjeeling, in relation to the requisitioning, processing, allocation and distribution of Chana (Bengal Gram) under the Government of India’s Bharat Dal scheme.

The Bharat Dal initiative aims to supply pulses at subsidized rates through cooperatives like the National Consumer Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) and NAFED to stabilize retail prices and meet dietary needs. However, the GTA’s implementation appears to have involved the swift appointment of an advisor, an immediate large-scale requisition, appointment of a private Kanpur-based firm as “Nodal Agency” without visible tender process, a substantial advance payment by that firm, and subsequent justifications amid apparent objections from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The advisor, one Sanju Chettri later resigned in April 2025.

Chronological Timeline of Key Events

4 March 2024 – Appointment of Advisor

• GTA Notification (Order No. 1/EM/GTA/2024) appoints Sanju Chhetri as Advisor for Land & Land Reform, Agriculture, and Sericulture departments.
• The order is formally issued and signed by the Executive Member, in-charge of Agriculture, Land and Land Reforms and Sericulture, GTA and is widely circulated within GTA, taking immediate effect.

5 March 2024 – Requisition for 47,500 MT Chana (Ref AGRI/Bharat Dal/2023-24/01)

• A letter to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs requests 47,500 MT of Chana under the Bharat Dal scheme. Signed by Sanju Chhetri (on behalf of the Executive Member), the request follows just one day after his appointment.

8 April 2024 – Letter from Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution PS-03001/1/2023-PMC Pt-3 (E-32596)

• Ministry advises the National Consumer Cooperative Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) may coordinate with GTA for supply of 14,000 MT Chana/Dal under Bharat Dal mechanism.
• Note the proposed allocation has been reduced to 14,000 MT which is significantly lower than requested 47500 MT.

9 July 2024 – Appointment of Private Firm (with no ref number)

• A letter signed by the Advisor Sanju Chettri appoints M/s Jeevshakti Products Pvt Ltd Ltd (CIN U74999UP2018PTC101881) as “Nodal Agency” for lifting, processing, packaging, and distribution.

Notable concerns:

• There’s no evidence of a tender or competitive selection process involved in the apppointment of this firm
• The letter has been issued on limited-circulation letterhead
• There seems to have been a minimal internal dissemination within GTA, but the Executive Member Agri, L&LRs Seri is kept in the loop

4 October 2024 – GTA Justification to Ministry Ref: DoAFW/GTA/07

• In the letter written by Sanju Chettri on GTA letter-head, he defends the arrangement of appointing a private firm, describing the firm as a “Nodal and Implementing Agency” rather than a private vendor.
• It cites lack of infrastructure in GTA, and requests phased release of stock.
• The response appears to follow queries or objections from central authorities.
• Letter claims, “JeevShakti Products Private Limited has made an upfront payment of Rs 2.26 crores on the 17th of September 2024, under UTR: ICICR52024091700423187, to NAFED’s A/c No: 110144034290 in Canara Bank.”

11 April 2025 – Resignation of Advisor

• Sanju Chhetri resigns via email, effective immediately.

Key Issues

1. Appointment and Role of the Advisor

• The documents confirm formal appointment but provide no information on qualifications, selection process, or scope of authority.
• Within one day, the advisor was involved in a major procurement request, raising questions about preparedness and mandate.

2. Unusually Rapid Requisition

• The requisition for 47,500 MT immediately the day after appointment, suggests either prior informal planning or an expedited decision-making process without documented internal consultation.

3. Appointment of Nodal Agency Without Visible Tender

• No records indicate a competitive bidding or tender process for selecting the private firm.
• The limited circulation of the appointment order further raises transparency concerns.

4. Unclear Contractual Terms

• No contract, agreement, or financial terms are included in the available documents.
• Critical details, such as commission, liability, risk-sharing, remain undocumented in the public record.

5. Advance Payment Structure

• The private firm deposited ₹2.25 crore directly with NAFED.
• The rationale, authorization, and proision for this arrangement are not clearly explained.

6. Lack of Outcome Transparency

There is no documentary evidence confirming:

• whether the allocated Chana was actually lifted,
• processed into dal,
• distributed to beneficiaries, or
• deposit to NAFED refunded if unused.

As of April 2026, the final status of the allocation remains unclear.

Outstanding Questions

• The documents establish a consistent sequence of events but also highlight significant gaps in transparency, documentation, and procedural clarity.

The “Daal Ghotala” allegations center on whether public resources and central scheme benefits were handled with due process or channeled through opaque, ad-hoc arrangements.

• possible bypassing of procurement norms,
• concentration of decision-making authority in a single appointed advisor,
• limited institutional oversight, and
• absence of verifiable outcomes for a public welfare scheme

To fully resolve these issues, formal clarification would be required from:

• GTA leadership, including the Chief Executive, Principal Secretary, and Executive Member in-charge of Agriculture, Land and Sericulture
• Sanju Chhetri, the advisor
• M/s Jeevshakti Products Pvt Ltd,
• Relevant central agencies (Ministry of Consumer Affairs, NAFED, NCCF)

Until such disclosures are made, the matter remains one of documented procedural concern rather than conclusively established wrongdoing.

We have reached out to all concerned, we are awaiting their response, and will post the same, as and when they respond.

LIST OF DOCUMENTS WE HAVE TILL NOW

The post “Chana Ghotala”? Irregularities in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration’s Handling of Bharat Dal Scheme (Chana Allocation) appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Founded in 1976 by the legendary PTI journalist Late. Ram Patro sir, just a year after Sikkim’s merger with India, Sikkim Express(SE) has remained steadfast in their duty towards the people of Sikkim and in fostering democracy in the region. Today, as they complete five decades of service, SE has evolved from a small publication, to a vital pillar of democracy in Sikkim and the neighbouring Darjeeling-Kalimpong region as well.

In 2003, the new Editor-in-Chief Amit Patro, who was only 24-yrs old at that time transformed Sikkim Express into a daily newspaper, and changed the media landscape in the entire Sikkim-Darjeeling region. In a way, the growth of Sikkim Express has by and large mirrored Sikkim’s maturing from a small and isolated Himalayan kingdom, to one of the fastest developing states in India today.

My tryst with Sikkim Express began around 2013-14 when I sent them a few articles. In 2017, when Gorkhaland andolan broke out, and the West Bengal police made it impossible for me to report from Darjeeling, I had shifted my base to Sikkim temporarily. That is when I first met Amit Patro and his dedicated team of journalists.

When Darjeeling was silenced, it was Sikkim who spoke for us, and Sikkim Express had the loudest voice against the atrocities that were being meted out on the Gorkahs. It was Sikkim Express that connected numerous national newspapers and news outlets to the on-ground activists in Darjeeling and Kalimpong region. They did not let threat and intimidation from the powers that be, silence their voices, nor ours.

As Sikkim Express completes 50-years today, I cannot help but thank them for upholding objectivity, for upholding the values of journalism, for being the platform through which our region has learned to express ourselves. Your perseverance, dedicated and hard-working staff, and fearlessness in Sikkim, enable us to be courageous here in Darjeeling.

To the entire Sikkim Express team, past and present – we owe you a debt of gratitude. One which we will never be able to pay back, but which we honour every single day by upholding the values of journalism you represent.

The post Sikkim Express – We owe you a debt of gratitude appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

When Justice Exposes Failure explores the ongoing GTA Teachers’ Recruitment Case and examines it indepth.

The judgment passed by the Calcutta High Court, ordering the cancellation of 313 teachers’ appointments passed in 2019 for the GTA schools, has stirred up debate around the issue that had otherwise remained silent for months. Honourable Justice Biswajit Basu in his order stated, “……..this Court holds that the appointment of 313 voluntary teachers in the name of regularisation, whose particulars have been disclosed in the supplementary affidavit filed by GTA on April 29, 2025 is illegal, accordingly, the impugned letter bearing no. 254-SE/S/4A-1B/15(PT-III) dated March 08, 2019 whereby and whereunder the engagements of 313 voluntary teachers were regularized by the Principle Secretary, School Education Department, Government of West Bengal is set aside and quashed.”

As soon as the order was passed, reactions started flooding from various corners in different directions and intensities. While the GTA Chief pledged his unconditional support towards the affected appointments, stating that it was a fight for truth, justice, and unity, the IGJF founder and president welcomed the decision and called for the immediate constitution of a fair, lawful, and transparent recruitment process.

The Sanyukta Madhyamik Sikshak Sangathan (SMSS), on the other hand, called for an indefinite closure of the Hill Schools in support of the affected appointments. Some members of the BGPM media cell have extended the issue to a greater length by calling it Jasimuddin vs The Hills, trying to portray it as a communal issue rather than a legal one.

This piece is an attempt to dissect the different aspects of the case.

Why now? Is it an Administrative Failure or a Political Disaster?

Many of us are by now aware that the GTA region has not had a proper recruitment process for decades now, and the schools have been getting the teachers through a stop-gap measure of volunteer teachers getting regularised. While DGHC in its time had eventually issued an order for the schools to stop the recruitment of volunteer teachers, it somehow kept continuing later and became the conventional door for entry into the schools as regular teachers.

What is interesting is that though the process has been running through decades and the administrative gap remained as it is, the challenge to any appointment had never reached this far as this time. So, would it be justified to call it an administrative failure? In fact, people in many quarters are calling it a political blunder and a result of massive alleged irregularities in the appointment process that upset and disappointed the people at large.

The allegations point towards the existence of nepotism, favouritism and even bribery involving the appointments that were made. While there are many teachers who were actually working as volunteers at the time for years and actually contributed to the schools and the students, there are allegations that there were people who never even stepped inside the gate of the school getting appointed.

In one such allegation surfacing sometime ago, one of the teachers among the 313, who was allegedly working as a part-time lecturer a local college before he had gotten an appointment, had himself come in front of the media and made a grand display of his certificates and awards to compensate for not having been a volunteer teacher. Besides, there are many such alleged cases where the relatives of some influential people, party favourites and sympathisers, etc., got appointed without serving as a volunteer teacher. It is, in fact, estimated by many that at least around half of the appointments were tainted, if not more than that.

Contrarily, many who had actually worked for years as volunteer teachers across different schools failed to score a spot during the appointments.

The erstwhile District Inspector of Schools, Mr Pran Govinda Sarkar, has also regularly come into the ambit of allegation and suspicion for passing many appointments illegally for reasons best known to him. Allegations also point out that there were people who worked closely with him, some of whose names also appear in the list of the 313. In fact, the High Court, in its order, has also recommended a departmental enquiry against him.

Had the appointments been fairly given, it would not have irked the left-out candidates, some of whom went on to file a case against the recruitment process. That is where the entire legal process had first started and then continued.

The Politics of Victimhood: Is This Really “Jasimuddin vs the Hills”?

In their desperation to garner public sympathy and support, some members of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) have come out to give a communal colour to this issue by painting it as Jasimuddin vs The Hills. Is it actually so? I would say – Not.

Those who have followed the case since the beginning would know that Jasimuddin was nowhere in the scene when the case had initially started. It was actually a case filed by a bunch of the volunteer teachers who were left out in 2019 when the 313 candidates were given appointments. They later withdrew their case, which most believe might have been because of the pressure they may have been subjected to during the case. It could be fear, threat, persuasion, or any other reason best known to them.

Jasimuddin’s petition was an intervention in the case, which became primary after the former case was withdrawn. Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya may have chosen a candidate from outside the GTA region to negate the chances of the petitioner backing out due to threats or persuasion. Jasimuddin may not have come to the highlight if the former petitioners had not withdrawn their case. The result, however, may not have been any different in that case either.

Those who have read the judgment would understand that Jasimuddin is nowhere in the central focus of the case. It is entirely about the 313 appointments. Jasimuddin vs The Hills is a coordinated attempt to frame propaganda to stimulate regional and community-based sentiments of the general public in support of the 313 candidates.

Who Truly Suffers and Who Is Responsible?

There is a saying that goes as – the prosperity of one often rests upon the sacrifice of another. The rampant irregularities in the appointment system had to come under scrutiny one day or another. Many of us may see the verdict as a dawn of justice against the corruption and hopelessness that infested the appointment system, and also hope that it brings a proper and transparent system into place. But it is also important for us to realise how the vested interest of a certain group of people has put many other innocent and genuine people’s lives into jeopardy. There are people in the group who have genuinely dedicated their service as volunteers to their respective schools for years without getting any return, some of them for over a decade. These genuine teachers losing their jobs isn’t the sacrifice we deserve to ask from them.

The important question – what are they a victim of? Many would want you to believe that they are the victims of the court order or the petitioners. Nothing could be further away from the truth. They are all the victims of administrative and political failure. They are the victims of the greed and the self-interest of a certain group of people. There is another saying that goes like – “The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.”

Protest or Punishment? Rethinking the Closure of Hill Schools

While the Sanyukta Madhyamik Shikshak Sangathan’s (SMSS) outrage is justified, it is clearly directed in the wrong direction. Why should the students and their parents be the ones to bear the burden of the lapse on the side of the authorities? Many teachers themselves are not in favour of shutting the schools but are complying with the call out of compulsion.

The question should instead be asked of the perpetrators of the irregularities. The right to protest cannot come at the cost of a child’s right to education, especially when the fault lies elsewhere.

Beyond the Verdict: Restoring Trust Through Reform and Accountability

The judgment must not be treated as the end of the matter, but rather as an urgent call for systemic reform. If the administration and political leadership fail to act decisively now, the same cycle of injustice and irregularity will inevitably repeat itself. Immediate measures must be taken to constitute a statutory, independent, and region-specific recruitment authority for the GTA school system, entrusted with conducting fair, transparent, and merit-based appointments.

All existing vacancies must be filled through a lawful recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all eligible candidates, particularly those who have genuinely served as volunteer teachers for years. Clear eligibility criteria, publicly notified procedures, third-party oversight, and time-bound recruitment schedules are essential to restore faith in the system.

Equally important is the need for political integrity and accountability. Leaders who preside over such flawed systems cannot escape responsibility by appealing to emotion, identity, or solidarity after the damage is done. Silence during irregularities and outrage after judicial intervention is not leadership. The people deserve answers – who enabled this system, who benefited from it, and why corrective steps were never taken earlier.

The post When Justice Exposes Failure: The GTA Teachers’ Recruitment Case Beyond the Noise appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Interlocutor Blues analyses the political development that have unfolded, following the annoucement of an Interlocutor for taking forward the talks related to Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars

General Bipin Rawat had once said “India has to be ready for a two-and-a-half front war”, with the half referring to unnamed internal enemies, who are always ready to do the bidding of others. Of late, I have come to realize, in Darjeeling, the Gorkhas are also fighting a two-and-a-half front war. We are not just fighting those who are opposed to us, we are fighting among ourselves, divided on party lines, and even within the party, there are further frictions.

Who does this help? Definitely not the Gorkhas.

The Interlocutor

On the 16^th of October, 2025 the Ministry of Home Affairs appointed former Deputy National Security Advisor (Dy-NSA) retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh as the Interlocutor and Government of India Representative to hold discussions on the issues relating to Gorkhas in Darjeeling hills, Tarai and Dooars region of West Bengal.

As reported in the Telegraph, and as read by a senior journalist on a Live show, his mandate is to “undertake constructive dialogue with various stakeholders including representatives of Gorkha organisations on the issues relating to Gorkhas in Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars region of West Bengal and suggest measures to resolve issues and roadmap in this regard.”

Further, “to hold discussions with other stakeholders in Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars region of West Bengal in this regard.”

Furthermore, “Recommend measures for socio-economic upliftment, cultural recognition, and preservation of cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region, and addressing their aspirations within the Constitutional framework.”

A fairly broad mandate, which in my opinion encompasses all issues including Scheduled Tribe re-inclusion for the left-out Gorkha sub-tribes through the “cultural recognition and preservation of cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region,” and the long-awaited Permanent Constitutional Solution for our region as encompassed in “addressing their aspirations within the Constitutional framework.” For me, what’s more important is that the area demarcated is Darjeeling hills, Tarai and Dooars, and the discussions will not just be confined to the Gorkhas, but will also incorporate views of “other stakeholders’ in the Darjeeling Hills, Tarai and Dooars region.”

The appointment of a former Deputy-NSA, no less, signifies the seriousness with which the Central Government is going about this issue. A critical appointment, in a critical geography, which has direct implications on India’s National Security.

Interlocutor Blues

Even before the news of the appointment had been properly reported in the media, the ruling party in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, spokesperson for Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) Spokesperson had already denounced the appointment as another “Conspiracy to put the Gorkhas back in the sack – गोर्खालाई फेरि बोरामा हाल्ने षड्यंत्र.” They had further added, “the appointment of the Interlocutor by BJP has been done only for the sake of making it easy to give speeches.”

While Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Gorkha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) etc welcomed the announcement, the denouncements were louder to say the least.

On October 19^th the Indian Gorkha Jan Shakti Front (IGJF) held a press conference welcoming the appointment of the Interlocutor. This was followed closely by a Central Committee Member of IGJF through his article “Another Interlocutor, another election: Why Darjeeling Hills has reason to doubt” arguing that “under the BJP, interlocutors are appointed before major elections to create an impression of action, but once votes are secured, the dialogue loses urgency. The timing of the latest appointment, just ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, raises similar doubts about their intent”.

This has been followed by many “social workers” questioning the authenticity of the appointment, and demanding to know the mandate of the appointment.

On 18^th of October, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Prime Minister, expressing her “objection to the Central Government’s decision to appoint former IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh as interlocutor for discussions on Gorkha-related issues in Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars”.

On October 24th IGJF Chief citing the letter written by Mamata Banerjee to the Prime Minister’s Office and the PMO allegedly forwarding it to the Home Ministry for reconsideration (as reported in the Telegraph), claimed that, this “exhibits the weakness of the BJP in the Centre and their Alliance Partners.” He had further appealed to the West Bengal Chief Minister thus, “We are not happy with the GTA, and you yourself had also said in the past that you would give us PPS. Therefore, this matter of the Interlocutor should be resolved quickly, because saying one thing before Tihar and something completely different after Tihar is not good – हामी जिटिएमा खुसी छैनौं अनि तपाईले पनि बिगतको दिनहरूमा पिपिएस म दिन्छु भन्नु भएको थियोे। त्यसर्थ यो इन्टरलोक्युटरको विषय चाडै समाधान होस् किनकी तिहार अघि एउटा कुरा अनि तिहार पछि अर्कै कुरा राम्रो होइन।“

On November 18th, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written another letter to the Prime Minister in which she has claimed, “it is a matter of grave concern that without any further communication in response to my letter and despite your kind intervention, the Office of the Interlocutor under Ministry of Home Affairs, has, vide Memo dated 10th November 2025, communicated that the office of the interlocutor HAS ALREADY STARTED FUNCTIONING, THIS IS REALLY SHOCKING”.

The Half Front

If you study the appointment of the Interlocutor issue, the Chief Minister of West Bengal has written two letters to the PMO, opposing the appointment. However, I am yet to see or become aware of any Gorkha politician writing to the PMO thanking for the appointment. I am sure our politicians are busy, but definitely they wouldn’t be as busy as the Chief Minister, would they?

What’s important to note here is that, the Chief Minister who, I am assuming is receiving all official communications, has already taken a stand against the appointment of the Interlocutor. The West Bengal government, thus emerge as the first front opposed to finding Constitutional Solution through constructive dialogue.

The second front will naturally be the political parties based in Bengal, like TMC or even BJP Bengal and Congress Bengal, who will outright oppose any solution for our region, they see it as an infringement on their domain.

What’s more worrisome is that while Gorkhas should be uniting and united for a cause, we are not working towards that. The call by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for all political parties to attend a discussion regarding creating a common platform and agenda to take to the Interlocutor was met with cold shoulders by some political groups. Instead of uniting, it has exposed our existing fault lines further.

This is where, the half-front will come into play. They will try and create divisions, diversions, and doubts among us.

United we stand

I hope our politicians, and more importantly the citizens of our region will recognize the need for unity at this moment. In our unity, lies the defeat of those who have treated us as a distant colony, those who have treated us as a second-class citizen, those who have killed our brothers and sisters in cold blood.

Remember, the Interlocutor is not just a talks facilitator; he is also a Government of India representative with a wide mandate. So, let us put our best foot forward, and stay united. Let us ensure that the Constitutional Solution we derive through this exercise is something that will address our generational aspirations, safeguard our political, social, cultural, linguistic and economic space. Most important of all, let us ensure a Constitutional Solution which will address the crisis of identity that Gorkhas and the people from Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars have had to face till date – i.e a state called Gorkhaland

The post Interlocutor Blues appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

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.

The post “FOREIGNER” – The tag that hounds Gorkhas (and Sikkimese Nepalis) appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.