Columns

Gorkhaland People

Dinesh Sharma October 31, 2020

Gorkhaland – The Leaders and the People

Today, the idea of Gorkhaland is at the crossroads. The state assembly elections are round the corner and some people feel the idea has been compromised after the ‘old guards’ made a deal with the state government for their return.

The state which had hounded them with multiple legal cases, has now decide to forgive them and assured their safe return. The state against which the movement was launched, has today become the protector of the rebels. The same state which took away even the voting rights of the ‘old brigade’ leaders is now guaranteeing their freedom to participate in the upcoming elections.

Our Primer

Divya Pradhan September 27, 2020

OUR PRIMER

Only a being can belong. Where is your being? You talk about Right, Left and Centre? You are a photocopy of a photocopy. Can’t you see, there is no You, there is no Home, there is no Us? Outfoxed, outmaneuvered, overpowered, outplayed, don’t you realize that you have been reduced to a speck of dust? The Right has no use for specks of dust and neither does the Left.

Current State of Affairs

Upendra September 19, 2020

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS – No one is to be blamed

In “Wai Wai” we trust – that’s the state of journalism in our hills.
In “Syria” we outrage – that’s the state of writers, poets, intelligentsia in our hills.
In “Social-media revolution” we believe – that’s the state of activism in our hills.
In “Finding political relevance” we strive for – that’s the state of academia in our hills.
In “Silence” we dwell – that’s the state of rebellion in our hills

We will vocally decry those who we believe are worthy of our self-righteous scorn, but don’t bother us to speak out against the tyrannical state and the current state of affairs.

Gorkhaland Andolan

Divya Pradhan September 12, 2020

Special Series on Gorkhaland Andolan – Shards of Memories from a Shattered Mirror – Part II

My aunts waited for the cremation to end and sat and gossiped among themselves. They were talking about some place where women had cremated the dead, an unheard of practice, Keti haru lay garnu parcha abo. Someone also mentioned in hushed voices that in some tea garden, a woman had given birth to a dark-skinnned baby, “nikkhur kalo nani”. There was anxiety in their voices. I didn’t really understand the implication of these conversations.

Census 1941 - Hill Tribes

Dinesh Sharma September 4, 2020

The Lost Gorkha Tribes

Our contributor Dinesh Sharma writes about the lost ‘Hill Tribes’ status that was confeered to the GOrkha community until the 1941 census.

NATRABHANAY

Divya Pradhan August 30, 2020

Natrabhanay: Of Threats and Threatened Species

As I was saying, threats have also changed over the years. Cha inchi – probably because we are vertically wanting and are insecure about our Gorkha height – has always worked. So why say ” Marchu” or “tauko kati dinchu”, when you can say “Natrabhanay cha inchi… ” ?

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Upendra August 1, 2020

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Review Meeting – A Political Masterstroke or a Bureaucratic Gaffe?

After a hard fought andolan of 4-years from 2007 to 2011, finally the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Agreement was signed between the Center, WB Govt and GJM representatives. The invitation, specifically to GJM is clearly for the resumption of the dialogue from where the center had left it in 2011. The File Number at the top of the letter, F.NO. 12013/01/2011-SR is a dead giveaway. In probability the invitation wasn’t sent to other political parties, as they were not a part of the GTA Agreement.