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| Raghupathi.s | Posted
on 18-May-03 11:02 PM
WAITING FOR BISMARCK The Hill people of Sikkim, Darjeeling & Doars should study the feasibility/practicability of merging their respective hill areas into a composite State of Sikkim and Darjeeling. Their population would go up to an economically viable and mutually beneficial level of 25 lacs approximately after the merger, thereby increasing their bargaining capability substantially. As we all know that Darjeeling was once upon a time part and parcel of the Kingdom of Sikkim before it was gifted to the British on laters request by the then CHOGYAL of Sikkim. Much water has flown down the river TEESTA since then and today any well wisher of the hill community is appalled to see these two cousins separated by an unscientific, unethical, unnecessary, cruel and deceptive division. The Indian States were reorganized on linguistic lines in the year 1956 and States like Andhrapradesh were born as a result of sacrifices by people like Late Shri Potti. Sreeramulu who died after an indefinite hunger strike to unite all the Telugu speaking people who were till then scattered in various other provinces like MYSORE, MADRAS, BOMBAY, HYDERABAD etc. The Nepali speaking community of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Doars have every right to be united into a composite State to safeguard their linguistic, cultural, ethnic, educational, social, economic and developmental interests. The division of the Nepali speaking community is highly deceptive and cruel and it violates the Indian Constitution blatantly. The children of Darjeeling have been passing through a prolonged phase of violent agitations since almost half a century and the Human Rights Organizations should concentrate on the impact of these violent agitations on the mindset of successive generations of Hill Children and try to ensure a peaceful and healthy academic environment in Darjeeling through constitutional means by filing a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India for realizing a composite state of Sikkim and Darjeeling. The State of Sikkim in particular has every right to demand back Darjeeling hill area in view of the change in ground situations from when it was gifted and the present day scenario where both the areas are part and parcel of India. Today Nepali Language has been recognized by parliament and the Nepali speaking people have constitutional right to demand the reorganization of Nepali speaking areas like Sikkim, Darjeeling and Doars. All the recognized Indian linguistic communities could have the benefit of reorganization of States on linguistic basis except Nepalese. To deny the reorganization of Nepali speaking areas/people into a geographically contiguous and culturally homogenous state on linguistic lines would amount to a violation of Article 14 of the Indian Constitution. The Nepali speaking legal fraternity in India should debate on this aspect extensively and find an amicable consensus within the framework of the Indian Constitution without offending the sentiments or the interests of the respective people of Sikkim and Darjeeling. The apprehensions of the Hill People in general should be addressed in such a manner so as to allay the unfounded as well as genuine fears with respect to educational opportunities, jobs, political representation, sharing of power etc. and a formula should be evolved so as to protect the interests of all sections of the Hill People. The tendency of some self styled leaders to fragment the HILL PEOPLE into a heterogeneous lot should be discouraged by all means and at all costs. There are numerous organizations like PILSARC (Public Interest Legal support and Research Center) founded by Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, COMMON CAUSE founded by Shri H.D. Shourie and CPIL (Center for Public Interest Litigation) in New Delhi, who would be too willing and happy to file a PIL in the Supreme Court of India for realizing a composite state of Sikkim, Darjeeling and Doars if only the educated elite of these areas approach them with all the relevant material papers. The legal fraternity of Sikkim and Darjeeling have a duty to organize a seminar/workshop on this subject and compile the relevant material from the State Archives/Libraries/historians etc. The local Government Law College in Gangtok in collaboration with the Law Faculty of North Bengal University can take up this matter as a project work which would go a long way in compiling the material necessary for filing a PIL in the Apex Court of India. The people of Sikkim and Darjeeling await the emergence of a statesman who can act as a cementing force and unite all the Nepali speaking people into a homogenous community by instilling confidence in all sections of the Hill community. The Hills today need an incarnation of either BISMARCK OR SARDAR VALLABHAI PATEL or both and the Hill People await the emergence of such a personality and they are definitely capable of producing one, just as Germany and India could produce them when they were badly needed. The Hill People should concentrate on the similarities/meeting points among the various castes and take advantage of such cementing factors and not concentrate on the dissimilarities/differing factors which might create a situation where they are pitted against each other, using all their energies/resources to destroy each other. S.Raghupathi somavaram@mailcity.com |
| Suna | Posted
on 19-May-03 05:51 AM
Interesting! Then I wonder how the other nepalese from other parts of India would feel?? Assam, Meghalaya, Calcutta, Delhi, Bombay..... As it stands now, there is so much of communalism going on in that part of the world (thanks to Indira and gullible Ghising!) that the very word nepali is enough to flare up a communal upheavel (sp?). Sikkim with all it's exclusive Sikkimese Nepalese, Darjeeling's Darjeelingey Nepalese, Assamese Nepalese...Mr. R. Its mindboggling! and you sound like Indira Gandhi! :) along the lines of "VHY DO YOU VANT JUST LANGUAGE? ASK FOR A SEPARATE ISTATE!!" (pun intended! maybe?) Although it sounds like a great thought, it would be a house of cards! |
| Suna | Posted
on 19-May-03 05:54 AM
Oh yes...the state of sikkim has every right..... hmmm SURE! I am a 100% confident that other Nepalese would love to enjoy the benefits of the central govt as opposed to a communist bengal! But, in case you were not aware, the Sikkimese already feel threatened by the # of Nepalese who hop, skip and jump into Sikkim from neighbouring states! There would be no question of Sikkim ever DEMANDING that Darjeeling should be "given back"! |