Introduction :- 

Gorkhas (or Gurkhas) are Nepali-origin people who take their name from the 8th-century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorakhnath and from the Nepal hill town of Gorkha. In India, the word is sometimes used to make a distinction between Indian Gorkhas, who are citizens of India, and Nepali citizens who are living in India. In a notification issued on August 23, 1988, the Home Ministry clarified that ‘Gorkhas domiciled in India at the time of commencement of the Constitution, and those born in India, or born to one or both parents born in India, are citizens of India’

History of Gorkhaland and Gorkhland Movement :- 

In 1780, the Gorkhas captured Sikkim and most part of North Eastern states including Darjeeling in 1780. After 35 years of rule, the Gorkhas surrendered the territory to British in the Treaty of Segoulee in 1816, after they lost the Anglo-Nepal war. However, though British handed over Darjeeling to Sikkim, it was taken back for political reasons in 1835. Before 1905, when Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon directed the partition of Bengal, Darjeeling was a part of Rajshahi division, which now falls in Bangladesh. For a short period from 1905-1912, it was even a part of Bhagalpur division. Darjeeling was merged with West Bengal after the partition of 1947. All India Gorkha League began a movement for a separate state in 1949.

The Gorkhaland movement is a long-standing quest for a separate State of Gorkhaland within India for Nepali-speaking Indian citizens (often known as ‘Gorkhas’). With roots dating back over a century, Gorkhaland is a classic sub-nationalist movement, not unlike those that have produced other States, most recently Telangana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand etc. The movement is neither separatist nor anti-nationalist rather by demanding Gorkhaland, the people of Darjeeling-Kalimpong are opting out of West Bengal’s domination, and opting in to the democratic frameworks of India writ large.

Why demand for Gorkhaland?

• Ethnic differences: The people belonging to this area hardly have any connection with the Bengali community and are different in ethnicity, culture and language.
• Aspiration of Indian Gorkha Identity: Due to racial discrimination, when they seek education and work in big cities like Bangalore, Delhi, etc., they are treated as foreigners. Therefore they seek a separate identity within the Indian dominion.
• Economic deprivation: Gorkhas remain pegged to the lowest levels of employment, while outsiders own the tea industry, meaning its profits flow out of the hills.
• Cultural impositions: The imposition of Bengali language by the state government is seen as extension of histories of domination and a threat to their identity.
• Other reasons include linguistic chauvinism, resource extraction, unilateral territorial claims, denial of self-governance, political suppression; and an unwillingness to respect the ‘native point of view’.

Responses to Gorkhaland :- 

Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC): Following the agitation that began in 1986, a tripartite agreement was reached between Centre, Government of West Bengal, and Gorkha National Liberation Front in July 1988. Under this, an autonomous Hill Council (DGHC) under a State Act was set up for “the social, economic, educational, and cultural advancement of the people residing in the Hill areas of Darjeeling District”.

The Council was given limited executive powers but in the absence of legislative powers the aspirations of the people of the region could not be addressed. The non-inclusion of the Dooars region in the Council became a major reason of discontent.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA): created in 2012 through a tripartite agreement signed by governments of centre and state and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), replaced the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. It is a semi-autonomous administrative body. It has administrative, executive and financial powers but no legislative powers. 

Lack of legislative powers means that the people of the region have no control over laws to govern themselves by. Dooars again has been left out and instead a verification team has been set to identify “Gorkha majority” areas in the Dooars.

Arguments in favour of new State of Gorkhaland:-

• Various states have been created on linguistic grounds or, more recently, for socio-economic reasons. Recent States such as Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh and Telangana have been created on the latter basis.
• Gorkhaland fits the bill on both counts — it is linguistically and culturally distinct from the plains of Bengal and can justifiably perceive Statehood as the answer to its socio-economic concerns.
• The experiments with incremental autonomy were not successful including the GTA’s first five-year term till 2017. These were only experiments with interim arrangements. The only permanent solution lies in creation of Gorkhaland.

Arguments against :-

• Small geographical area: Darjeeling had been too small to be constituted as a state. According to official records Darjeeling district has a geographical area of about 3,149 sq km with three Assembly seats and only a part of a Lok Sabha seat.
• Security Issues: It shares a complex relationship with unstable Nepal which has a history of using China as a trump card against India. The Maoist uprising in Nepal and Naxalite movement originated in the foothills of Darjeeling bolsters such fears.
• Triger for other such demands: Once we recognize such a demand, a Pandora's Box shall be opened. It not only jeopardizes the plural character of our society, but also opens the flood-gates for similar such demands from vested interests in different parts of the country.
• Administrative Feasibility: Firstly not all Nepali speaking people are demanding Gorkhaland. Secondly, they are very unevenly distributed throughout the region and it is very difficult to chalk out boundaries of the new state without administrative difficulties, as also observed by the Justice Shyamal Sen Commission (constituted to explore the feasibility of such inclusions).

Way forward :-

• To start with there is an urgent need to make efforts both by the government and the community to make Gorkhas feel included both socially as well as economically. The Government needs to be more sensitive towards needs and aspirations of Gorkhas. E.g. Instead of imposing Bengali, it could have been made optional.
• The state government and the Centre need to put in enough time and money to build civic amenities, culture and agency so that Gorkha communities can reset their connection with the state.
• Discussions should be held to further delegate legislative powers as well.
• Further, second State Reorganisation Commission can be set up to study and address the demands of statehood in various parts of India.