Tuesday, 29 June 2010

APROPOS: Supporting the issue of Darjeeling Sikkim unification is suicidal – G.M.Rai.

source:THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

BY DARJ MAN

Sub: In response to Post Barun Roy 21 June 2010, from Haalkhabar.net article Darjeeling/Sikkim: Supporting the issue of Darjeeling Sikkim unification is suicidal -G.M.Rai.

Title: Probably the Khas-Khasis- the original Gushan -Gurkhan, Gurkha/Gorkha.

Before approaching the question of the proposed merger of Darjeeling District in Sikkim the protagonist of the concept need address a few pertinent questions on the very foundations in order to lay the idea. The historical relevancy and its application in entirety, Darjeeling-Sikkim state is controversial even if the title is juggled to identify the larger parental area as ‘Sikkim Darjeeling’ nomenclature. The idea no matter how feasible may not be entirely acceptable to the Sikkimese although the inhabitants are closely linked in the broad spectrum of the Sikkim Himalayan cultural background. However the concept is playing into the hands dealt out by Bengal – division of Darjeeling District into Sikkim Darjeeling (1835) and Bhutanese-Kalimpong (1865) which areas belonged to the respective foreign countries amalgamated to form the present District of the same name.

For the moment this is the point of stress needed to be relieved from the process of contemplated fragmentation of Darjeeling District by West Bengal by carving out DGHC area (1988 by Subhas Ghissing, President GNLF) to divide Siliguri subdivision into a separate administrative unit in the District and gradually over period of time amalgamated visibly into Jalpaiguri District already seen in the economic plan of Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Corporation eventually converted into a statutory authority including the Siliguri Municipality Corporation (SMC) within the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad All this backstage acts being rehearsed without an inkling of suspicion aroused in the minds of the hill people without any scheme of their own for implementation in the fertile Terai land now converted into a gold mine of real estate wheeling and dealing. These areas though originally belonging to Sikkim at the moment belongs to the Darjeeling hill peoples with or without the consensus of the ethnic ruling majority community of the state in which the hill people never belonged (Govt. of India Absorbed Area (Laws) Act 1954), on the contrary, besides some of the plains tribes the rest of the population are recent migrants after independence and the inflow begun then is now an endless chain entirely marginalizing the original hill tribes. It is retold in history at the time of the Darjeeling Grant in 1835 the Sikkim king while ceding Darjeeling to East India Company, infact understood acceptance of Grant in exchange for the Siliguri Terai plains land which was diplomatically sidelined by Major Lloyd deputed by Lord William Bentinck to negotiate the proposed cession.

Bengal as a matter of fact seems advantaged from the recurring use of the Gorkha appellation designated to imply, whether properly or improperly, reference to describe the ethnology of the constellation of hill communities, genuinely the Darjeeling ‘hill people’. This reference was conspicuously implied in the drafting the Constitution of India in 1946 (Cripps Cabinet Mission). In the question of debating Darjeeling District as a “Partially Excluded Area” (Govt. of India Act 1935 and Order 1936) is contained in the process of forwarding the District in the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

The future of Darjeeling District was earmarked in the Final Interim Report submitted to the Advisory Committee of the Union Constituent Assembly of India, by the Chairman A.V.Thakkar of the Sub Committee on “Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (other than Assam)” in 18 Aug 1947. Darjeeling District was forwarded with the provisions of a “Partially Excluded Area”, particularly, it was argued, “the hill peoples” required a measure of protection while in contact with the more advanced people from the plains land.

So true and sagacious were the foresight of the fathers of the Constitution realizing this scene in advance, which, unfortunately is being undermined in subservience to the wishes of Bengal by frequently applying the Gorkhaland mantra merely to advance its political authority, infact not sanctioned by the constitutional writ wherein the Darjeeling tribes and the ‘hill people’ are provided protection under the Fifth Schedule. This otherwise unbefittingly, like Major Lloyd, is misused in disadvantaging the people for which the provision was made.

It is perceived, believed somehow, applying Gorkha designation to ensure symbolic relevance, ethnic, linguistic or cultural to Darjeeling District and Sikkim (in India) is alluded to raise more controversy than otherwise gain recognition while attempting to address issues anywhere in the Himalayas including Nepali from whence the word originated. The word is identified, peculiarly in reference to the Kings of the Gorkha under Shah dynasty since 1769 which period the indigenous people, the Newari Malla rulers of Katmandu valley and the adjoining tribes were overcome by Prithivinarayan Shan the Gorkha king. The monarchial dynastic rule ended in 2007 by overthrowing the ruling Gorkha king Birendra Bikram Shah by a popular Maoist doctrinated uprising under ‘Prachanda’ Pushpa Kumar .Dahal adventing a democratic federal republic nation. Paradoxically the sole aim of the Nepali Maoist was targeted to bring down the 238 years rule of the Gorkha kings, the only Hindu theocratic nation in the world, while on the other hand strangely enough Gorkha symbolism is asserted in adventuring recognition of Nepali/Gorkha as Indian identity. The paradox ends on the grounds if ethnic emigrant Indians having settled in Gorkha, the immediate ancestors of Prithivinarayan Shah are considered domiciled Nepalese.

Extract from Travels of Fah-Hian and Sung-Yun from China to India translated from the Chinese by Samuel Beal : In about 30 BC the five tribes of the great Yuchi (who had been driven by their enemies in the northern frontiers of India) united the five tribes under Khieu-tsiu-ki, the chief of the Gushan (Kuei-shang) horde: quote, “ proceeded to advance further south to the conquest of Kashmir and Cabul (Kabul). It is conjectured that the same chief who consolidated the power of the Yuchi, is the same as Hyrkodes of the coins. Who probably effected his conquest about 50 BC and died at 35 BC at 84 years of age. The chieftain left the throne to his son, Yen-kao-ching, to whom the Chinese assign the conquest of India to the west of the Jamuna. He has been identified with Hima Kadphises of the coins. His successor was Kanishka (about 15 BC) to whom frequent allusion is made in the following memoirs. From the Raja Tarangini (History of Kashmir) we learn that Kanishka and his two brothers, Hushka and Jushka ruled over Kashmir for 60 years”. The Gushan horde could possibly be the Gurkhans and later the Gurkhas of the present times.

There is also an element of speculation in considering Gorkha was ruled by Khan kings (not necessarily religious Muslims) which meaning was transferred to the Shah designation (Khan=Shah) whereas it is inferred the Khan was in reference to Gur-Khans (Gorkhas) meaning King of kings in Mongolian language. This is an extract from I.S.Chemjong’s book History and culture of Kirat People (2003 4th Edition) which is believed to be banned for sale in Nepal. Interesting however is his finding the Gur-khans ancestral homeland was the Tarim river basin along the infamous Silk Route to China via the Takla Makan desert presently the Chinese province of Sinkiang. The Gur-Khans had their capital in Kashgar(h) meaning the fort of the Khas people (referring to the Khus Parbhatiyas) of western Nepal.

In order to understand the ancient history of the Khas of Nepal dating possibly before the Christian era the formation of the caste by crossing recent migrants from India Rajputs or Brahmins and the Khas Mongolian women of the country, being the infamous progeny of a Brahmin and a Mlechha, to whom, in greater defiance of their creed, communicated the rank of second order of Hinduism, as Kshatriyas with the patronymic title of the first order.

It is this writer’s view point the word Khus, Khas, Khasi, Khasis is an abbreviation of Khus are totally different from the neighbouring hill tribes, though presently occupying space as an autochthones of Meghalaya. In the historical past the tribe inhabiting in Meghalaya and Tripura as Khasi probably were displaced from North West India and migrated to different parts of the country under new nomenclatures suitable to the new area. The new names under which their original tribal identity persists are mentioned in the table:

States ST/SC No. Names of Tribes / Caste
Assam ST 6 Khasi, Pnar, War, others (4)
Andhra Pradesh SC 22 Ghasi, others (3)
Bihar SC 12 Ghasi
Chattisgarh SC 25 Ghasi, Ghasia
Gujarat ST 4 Bhil, Bhil Garasia, etc
Meghalaya ST 6 Khasi,Pnar, War, others (4)
Mizoram ST 6 Khasi,Pnar, War, others (4)
Maharashtra ST 23 Ghasi, Ghasia;
Madhya Pradesh SC 26 Ghasi, Ghasia
Orissa ST 31 Ghasi, Ghasia
Rajasthan ST 5 Garasia (excld. Rajput Garasia)

Earlier having mentioned the Khasis is said to have inhabited Northwest India as the Khas in western Nepal, also seems to have close affinity with the Mon-Khmer (Burma and Cambodian tribes) as well as the Lalung tribe of North Burma. The Khasis who are linguistically connected with the group once known as Kolarian in the Indian peninsula, but now generally known as Munda inhabiting the hilly regions of Chutia Nagpur and parts of Satpura Range in the Central provinces. In physical character the indo Chinese Khasis differ greatly with the Mundas. But the points of resemblance in the languages and in some of the institutions cannot be denied.

It does not seem coincidental the War tribes close to Khasis, too is believed to have inhabited and close proximity to the former since ancient times, both the tribes being displaced by pouring hoards of Indo Aryan immigrants from the west. The Wars now inhabit the North East states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam co-jointly with the others as tribes. Like the Khasis, the Wars too intermingled in marriage with other tribes in India of both Austric and Dravidic stock with implications of changed nomenclatures as given below in the table:

States ST/SC No. Names of Tribes / Caste
Andhra Pradesh ST 4 Chenchu, Chenchwar ;
Bihar ST 15 Kharia (16). Kharwar
Chattisgarh ST 20 Kawar Kanwar, others (5); (21) Khairwar, Kondar (22). Kharia
Chandigarh SC 19 Khatik
Delhi SC 21 Khatik
Himachal Pradesh SC 34 Khatik
Jharkhand ST 15 Kharia (16). Kharwar
Madhya Pradesh ST 14 Dhanwar (20). Kawar, Kanwar, others (5).(22) Khairwar,Kondar (23). Kharia
Maharashtra ST 23 Khairwar (24). Kharia
Orissa ST 28 Kawar (29). Kharia, Kharian (30) Kharwar
Punjab SC 20 Khatik
Rajasthan SC 36 Khatik
Tripura SC 20 Kharia
Uttarkhand SC 44 Karwal (45). Kharatia (46).Kharwar (excld. Vanwasi)(47). Khatik
Uttar Pradesh SC 44 Karwal (45). Khairaha (46). Kharwar (excld Bendansi) (47).Khatik
West Bengal SC 33 Khaira (34).Khatik (37).Konwar
ST 17 Kharwar


States ST/SC No. Names of Tribes / Caste
Andhra Pradesh SC 35 Mala(36).Maladasi(37).Maladasu(38).Malahannai(39).Malajangam (40). Malamasti (41). Malasale (42). Mala Sanyasi
ST 20 Malis (excld. 9 dists )
Bihar ST 23 Malpariya
Delhi SC 25 Malla
Jharkhand ST 23 Malpariya
Karnataka ST 65 Mala Maladasi (66). Malahannai (67).Malajangam (68).Malamasti

(69). Malasale (70). Malaka (71).Malasanyasi

Kerela SC 45 Palan (46) Palluvan
ST 23 Malakkuravan (24).Malasar (25).Malayan (26).Malayarayar
Maharashtra SC 39 Mala (40).Maladasi (41).Malahannai (42).Malajangam

(43).Malamasti (44).Malasale, Netkani (45).Mala Sanyasi

Orissa SC 56 Mala, Mala, Jhala, (Zala)
Pondicherry SC 7 Mala, Malamasti
Tamil Nadu SC 40 Mala
ST 23 Malakkuravan (24) Malasar (25) Malayali (26) Malayekandi
Tripura SC 27 Mali
West Bengal SC 43 Mallah
44 Mallah
ST 28 Malpahariya




The Gnar (or Synteng) tribe of Cherrapunji who coexists with the Khasia and War tribe in the states of Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram requires racial clarification. It could either be Austric, Dravidic or Mongolian. If it is not the last but either the first or the second it seems plausible to determine from the pronunciation of Gnar as Nayar (Nair) of Tamilnadu and Kerala. While professing aspects of South Indian Hinduism the early Malla (Mal-detailed ethnicity in attached table) kings of Katmandu valley, in order to proselytize Hinduism by inviting ethnic priests from the plains, the Nayars. The priests (Nayar/Nair/Gnar) intermingling within the Nepali social structure, besides professing religion, cohabited, possibly with the Mallas as well as with the War tribes, which contributed towards the new generation of population known as the Newars (Gnar+War) of Nepal. The usual reference citing the allusion of the South Indian community Nayar (Nair) connected by blood and name to Nepali Newar could partly be true, provided the Gnar tribe is a derivative from Nair (pronounced Gnar).

This deduction is justifiable on the basis of the fact the War tribe inhabiting present day Himachal Pradesh has historical reference whereas the Gnar tribe has been simultaneously mentioned with the War tribes simultaneously in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

It s now the duty of ethnologists to determine whether Nair community can be considered indifferent to Gnar while sieving ancient history of North India. It is possible the oft reference to the mythical sage ’Ne’ of Nepal maybe referred to the Nayar (Gnar) who may have introduced some aspect of the southern culture into the Katmandu valley. The name Nepal, referred by Huien Tsang as Ni-polo visiting India in 6th century may not have visited the valley, presently Katmandu, but Swayambunath, the self evolved deity, in reference to the eternal burning flame- day and night, may already have existed at the time. Huien Tsang however only refers to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha where the Mauryan king Asoka’s edict pillar, commemorating the teacher’s birthplace, was discovered by Major L.A.Wadell, the Tibetologist. It is possible Nepal as a country was first time mentioned in history by the Chinese traveler as a result of which in reference to his visit, ancient sage ‘Ne’, may have applied ‘pala’ = look after, combined to derive the name Nepala, (looked after by the sage ‘Ne’).

Could it ever be possible some bloodline of ‘Ne’ the Chinese traveler maybe lurking in the chromosomes gene pool of the Nair would be an interesting subject for investigation to understand the history of Nepal which polity is still under process of ethnological evolution to determine its political space.

This being the background the Gorkha terminology is incidental to the history of Nepal of recent origin only just as the case of Indian history where foreign invaders have left their bits of mark contributing to the diversity of the nation, formed only in 1947, sixty three years ago, comparatively still young and further evolving.

The frequent and flagrant proposition of the Gorkha appellation, in context to the socio-political administrative history of the Darjeeling hills, while identifying the movement under a Gorkha stance unseemingly suppresses the provisions of the “Partially Excluded Area” regional identity of the Darjeeling hill peoples expression to detach themselves from West Bengal seems to deter the cause in more than one ways. This message is slowly seeping into the minds of the stakeholders, although belatedly, and a new approach is advanced by way of converting all the hill communities, read as Gorkhas into Scheduled Tribes. Darjeeling hill people on its own have been guaranteed by the Constitution to demand a state by virtue of its legal precedence the Govt. of India Act 1935 and Order 1936 which provisions were transferred, after independence into the Constitution of India in 1950. Per se which Darjeeling District under the provisions of the Fifth Schedule, based on the qualification as ‘Scheduled Tribes’ has rightly appealed for an Interim Setup, anticipating a Union Territory, is a process in the right direction. The more important qualification of the Fifth Schedule as a ‘Scheduled Area’, which requires vesting more hill communities as tribes in time, which the two factors combined would eventually fulfill the provisions of the Fifth Schedule in delivering the much aspired state.

Reverting back to the subject of attempting merger of Darjeeling District to Sikkim is plausible but relatively unacceptable reading the pages of the Govt. of India Acts since the time Darjeeling District was formed in 1866 and its respective relevance to the Constitution of India, 1950. This scheme is applicable and suitable only while considering Sikkimese Darjeeling, the three subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Siliguri which areas formed a separate unit since 1935 and 1950. Apart from that Bhutanese Kalimpong 1865, was amalgamated with the former to form Darjeeling District in 1866. Hence the issue of merging the entire Darjeeling District does not fit into the political background of the scheme. It is however, plausible to consider under the recent time and space frame with the conclusion of and in application of the updated Indo- Bhutan Friendship Treaty, 8 February 2007. The new Treaty contains no more Article 3 of the Treaty of 1949, per-se, the provision of, ‘ temporary subsidy of Rupees one lakh per annum granted in 1942 as a follow up of the Treaty of Punakha 1910 (8 Jan 1910) which itself was advanced from the Treaty of Sinchula (11 Nov 1865).

The present 2007 Treaty is clearly only an update as it neither mentions abrogation nor repeal of the 1949 Treaty is an interesting feature for a minute study of the implications in regard to the annual subsidy paid to Bhutan since British rule and continued till the updated Treaty in 2007. this is an interesting new chapter in Indo Bhutan relationship. The total cession of erstwhile Bhutanese territory of Dalimkote Kalimpong and the18 Dooars (Jalpaiguri District) is now a closed chapter. It is probable within the meaning of this understanding the entire Darjeeling District maybe allowed to be merged with Sikkim state. A feasible proposition which can be implemented if other factors prove to be agreeable.

If at all D.K.Bomzan, President, Gorkha Rashtriya Congress (GRC) is serious in his proclivity, the intended merger of Darjeeling to Sikkim requires a thorough analysis of the above two premises in order not to embark sailing on a boat without neither sails nor oars, unless otherwise he intends using his limbs in substitution – a Herculean transformation indeed.


In conclusion, GM Rai President Gorkha Prajatantrik Party (GPP) probably inspired by various Gorkha brands to wit, Bharatiya Gorkha Parishad (BGP), is a non starter neither as a social nor a political body headed by ‘have been’ politicians of yore and heralding the Nepali/Gorkha cause in the country is now messed up as a mindset, itself intending politicization of the various hill communities under the umbrella of Nepali/Gorkha brand name implied for political advantage in the rest of India. Since the formation of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) in 15 May 1943, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) 5 April 1980 (the party was formed for the sole intention of demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland for the first time) to be followed after 27 years by the present ongoing agitation led by Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) since August 2007.

The genesis of the appellation Gorkha has a historical background after the conclusion of the First World War in 1914-18 when retired British Gorkha ex-servicemen formed an association. An interesting sequel to the history of Darjeeling is according to Sikkim & Darjeeling by Dr. Sonam B. Wangyal that, Drs. D.K.Sarkar and D.Bhaumik version, Kalimpong Samity led by Sardar Bhimdal Dewan and the People’s Association of Darjeeling, clamoured not for ‘exclusion’ but for the ‘inclusion’ of Darjeeling into Bengal “for the obvious purpose of enjoying the fruits of constitutional reforms under the Act of 1919”. This was in exact opposition to the memorial presented to the Govt. of Bengal on 8 Nov 1917 by “Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese representing the opinion of the people of Darjeeling District” in anticipation of the Mongatu Chelmsford Reforms Commission 1918.

The idea of the Commission was, institute primarily to study and introduce the process of reforms towards increasing association of Indians in every branch of administration and the gradual development of self-governing institutions with a view to the progressive realization of responsible government in India as an integral part of the British Empire. Taking advantage of this consideration was the effort made by the Hillmen’s Association to retain the exclusion of Darjeeling District from the application of general administration by forwarding the application of Backward Tracts(1870) which is now understood to mean these tribal inhabited areas located throughout India were ‘outside’ British India, which later on in the Govt. of India Act 1935 and Order 1936 were referred to as Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas which implications were further forwarded to the Constitution of India in the Fifth and Sixth Schedule.

Whether at that point of time the Hillmen’s Association, Darjeeling actually understood the reasoning’s for their memorial, “the one point was creation of a separate unit comprising of the present Darjeeling District with the portion of Jalpaiguri District which was annexed from Bhutan in 1865”, the same area now applied by GJMM for the creation of a new state for the Darjeeling hill peoples, by addressing the Centre to register ‘all Gorkhas’ (whereas in substance it only applies to the Darjeeling hill communities). This has the same implication as the earlier meaning of Backward Tracts updated in 1936 and 1936 with the provisions implied in 1950 wherein in the Fifth Schedule, Scheduled Area is consonant with Backward Tracts.

Hence applying the word Gorkha to address whether issues in the Darjeeling hills or elsewhere in India is antithetic to the space occupied by the more relevant and constitutional recognized status of Scheduled Tribes. This is historically proper and constitutionally acceptable, unless and otherwise the Gorkha communities are merged in the holding of the Scheduled Tribes. This is now being accepted by GJMM as well as GNLF who infact had highlighted this program before being superseded by the former in 2007. From this argument it can now be deciphered improper application of Gorkha, except in reference to the Gorkha soldiers in Nepal as per the Britain-India-Nepal Tripartite Agreement signed 1947 concerning the rights of Gorkhas in military service, superceding it in any other context whether ethnically, socially or politically seems out of context. Although its use, unintentionally misguided since its implication to the darjeleing hills in the history just retold, has been total, somewhat in political adventurism but totally a mismatch as far as its results and implementation are concerned. Therefore it seems more proper and pertinent, in the future politics of the Darjeleing hills and Sikkim, the less the term is referred in politics, the better the stance for the concerned units.

Infact if at all anybody is truly serious to solve the Gorkha conundrum the subject requires a research level program by universities recognizing Nepali/ Gorkhali as a subject in their curriculum. It would be only proper if the universities of North Bengal, Sikkim, Kolkata take up the cudgel to settle the issue once and for all. As Darjeeling already possesses a person of Dr. Mahendra P.Lama as the Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University, it perhaps falls on his shoulders to take up the subject to its conclusive end.

There is no question, at the moment, politicians of all hues and colour have and may still extract sufficient mileage in various states where the Nepali/ Gorkha population has sizable vote bank as an asset, and which surreptiously the BJP, linked to a majority religion national party, as most of the communities concerned profess aspects of Brahmanical Hinduism, taking advantage of this situation suffices to ride piggy back during the elections. This was displayed in the recent last elections by voting BJP, MP, Jaswant Singh under the GJMM banner. The MP thrown out of the party has now been reinstated, perhaps for the good fortune of GJMM which still remains to be seen as till date there is little or no indication of formalizing the Darjeeling hill peoples demand for separation from West Bengal.

The experimental victory of BJP in Darjeeling District is now seen, and rightly so, intended forwarding its promotion to the other Himalayan states where the Nepali/Gorkha vote bank is promiscuous – Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and maybe elsewhere in India too. The desire to fill the political wilderness of the communities in diaspora certainly deserves a viable concretization program but not by default exchanging the original namesake of the constellation of Himalayan communities under the Nepali/Gorkha brand. This will be better addressed instead by preserving the distinct features of the different communities under the Indian identity of their distinct community names, simply as Rai, Limbu, Tamang, Magar, Gurung and others as tribes. This is suitably acceptable for recognition and claim.


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