The unruly Gorkhaland fiasco is again rearing its ugly head. And that head is ably represented by Mr. Bimal Gurung. The markets are closed, the roads are blocked, the schools and colleges deserted. Yippee! It's a strike. Sikkim is suffocating, the prices of commodities are increasing, tourism is taking a bad hit and all the people (whether a Bengali or a Gorkha) are getting equally inconvenienced. The police are to be seen nowhere, and for all reasons its a one party rule out there.
But on second thoughts this whole thing seems to be a little funny. The Gorkhaland issue first got prominence under the leadership of Subhas Ghising of the GNLF. The man lead a rather bloody struggle to achieve Gorkhaland, but then abandoned the struggle after the formation of the Darjeeling Hill Council. He got the power he so terribly wanted (evidently) and then ruled like a tyrant for 20 years. He had the power and the money, now why should he go on bothering on issues like development? And then steps into the scene the young and ambitious Bimal Gurung. He takes the cue from Guru Ghising and starts his morning walk following his footsteps. He forms his own party, proclaims his aim to achieve Gorkhaland and helps BJP win the Darjeeling LS seat (just like GNLF had helped Congress win the seat in the late 80s).
And if Gurung achieves Gorkhaland then after a period of time there will be yet another guy who will revolt against Gurung and form yet another party and then demand independence. The cycle will continue as history repeats itself.
My argument is that if Bimal Gurung really cares about development (as he professes in his huge rallies) then he can very easily do so in the present framework. Formation of a whole new state will do little in such a situation, unless of course, Gurung wants a personal fiefdom. Ghising had his DGHC, Gurung wants his own state. Rest of the story will be similar I guess - a single party state, a single leader, concentration of all the resources and power in one hand leading to - corruption and tyranny.
Thinking rationally, Gurung doesn't even have an premise for his demands. The West Bengal Government doesn't suppresses the people, nor their culture or traditions. For development DGHC is there. There is complete freedom and all the Gorkhas enjoy exactly the same rights as everybody else. And remember the more the number of governments, the more will be the common man taxed to elect and support the huge entourage of ministers (and deputy ministers, and bureaucrats, and cars, and buildings, and of course more corruption).
And if they think that Gorkhaland is required to save their identity, its all fine and good. According to them,
"The main reason for the demand for a separate state is the assertion of an Indian identity for the Gorkhas. Such an identity cannot be bestowed by any locally envisaged administrative systems. These are meant only for economic upliftment and social development."
But then that rule must be applied to all minority communities throughout India. For example lets take a look at West Bengal after applying this rule --
West Bengal can be broken up into 6 parts - Darjeeling, Cooch Bihar, Kamtapur, Santhal dominated areas, Murshidabad (for Muslims) and proper West Bengal.
Applying this rule we get some 90-100 states in India, and I wonder how possibly India could survive then. God bless India. Amen.
13 comments:
Dude to say the least, I am very impressed with your English and the clarity with which you have put your thoughts across. It is difficult to find someone with such clarity of thought and language at such a young age. Well done!!!
However, your logic is something I do not agree with.
To begin with Darjeeling was never a part of West Bengal, it was brought under Calcutta Presidency by the British only for administrative ease and no other reason. This is further strengthened by the fact that Darjeeling always held the status of Excluded District. Which meant that Rules and Laws made in Calcutta Presidency were not applicable in Darjeeling etc.
It is easy for an outsider to pass comment on what they believe is true, but when it comes to real facts, Bengal does not own the Darjeeling hills, we have nothing in common with Wasted Bengal, our culture, our language, our traditions everything is different than yours... so you tell me why should we want to remain with West Bengal? If West Bengal was for some reason under Bihar would you not want a separate state of your own?
It is easy to sound benevolent and magnanimous and say everyone is equal in West Bengal, but when the Ministers of West Bengal like Subash Chakraborty pass on comments like "Khetey diyechhi... Suttey Chai??" [We have provided you food, now you want to sleep??].. we are reminded that unless and until we have a state of our own we will always be treated as an outsider... No matter who big a talk anyone gives, there is a deep rooted feeling in the ruling Bong's heart that Gorkhali's are foreigners and it is this fact which has forced us to demand a separate state of our own.
AS for development and identity issues... I am ready n willing to have a discussion or debate with you...
I respect your right to have an opinion of your won, but my only request is do not blabber what your elders or your politicians tell you... look deep into the things, find the facts and then you may find that may be things are not as simple as they seem.
You can see Gurung or Ghishing... but you don't see the desperation of people which has forced us to support people like them.
Find the fact... write the truth.. don't just parrot someone else.
Jai Hind.. Jai Gorkha.. Jai Gorkhaland
"Dude to say the least, I am very impressed with your English and the clarity with which you have put your thoughts across. It is difficult to find someone with such clarity of thought and language at such a young age. Well done!!!"
Many many thankus and thankis.
"To begin with Darjeeling was never a part of West Bengal, it was brought under Calcutta Presidency by the British only for administrative ease and no other reason. This is further strengthened by the fact that Darjeeling always held the status of Excluded District. Which meant that Rules and Laws made in Calcutta Presidency were not applicable in Darjeeling etc.
It is easy for an outsider to pass comment on what they believe is true, but when it comes to real facts, Bengal does not own the Darjeeling hills, we have nothing in common with Wasted Bengal, our culture, our language, our traditions everything is different than yours... so you tell me why should we want to remain with West Bengal?"
I duly note your objection and agree to each and every word.
"It is easy to sound benevolent and magnanimous and say everyone is equal in West Bengal, but when the Ministers of West Bengal like Subash Chakraborty pass on comments like "Khetey diyechhi... Suttey Chai??" [We have provided you food, now you want to sleep??]"
Forget about that guy. He's a cheap bastard anyway.
"we are reminded that unless and until we have a state of our own we will always be treated as an outsider... No matter who big a talk anyone gives, there is a deep rooted feeling in the ruling Bong's heart that Gorkhali's are foreigners and it is this fact which has forced us to demand a separate state of our own."
I mostly agree with what you have said in here, but my point is, as I have already mentioned in my post above, is that, then you will have to apply this principle everywhere. Every single community which is presently fighting for a seperate state will look forward to the same treatment feted out to them too.
My decision (if I had been the supreme authority, which I am lucky I am not) would be to make the Darjeeling district a Union Territory. Would have saved some much needed money, and would have solved the identity problem too. So how's that Mystic Mountain Man...
Dude... USA the most developed country in the world has a population of 300 million and has 51 states [provinces].. where as India has only 28.. Western Europe has over 34 countries [and not states] with a population of little over 700 million.. Don't you think our country India would be better off with more states that are easier to manage??
The best states in India in terms of education. employment and human development indexes are Kerela, Sikkim and Goa respectively... you tell me what does India really need?? Big and Poor states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal or smaller states that are better developed??
Let there be more states so that ever nook and corner of India is better developed.
Union Territory is a way forward and most of the people from Darjeeling would agree to such an arrangement.. except for the Phaorical West Bengal and it's politicians...
Hope sanity prevails amongst Bengali politicians.
As for the Mystic Mountain Man, he is still The Mystic and still the Mountain Man..
Jai Gorkhaland
Dude you are now famous... your blog is featured here
http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/blog-gurungs-gorkhaland/
Well Done
"USA the most developed country in the world has a population of 300 million and has 51 states [provinces].. where as India has only 28.. Western Europe has over 34 countries [and not states] with a population of little over 700 million.."
USA is too big a country compared to India mate, and even the European nations are realizing that being so puny doesn't help in today's world, and are therefore moving towards an united future under the European parliament.
And thanks man, for that feature. But do also read my follwing post and link it to the beacononline. They are related.
http://animeshray.blogspot.com/2009/07/gorkhaland-solutions-why-not.html
I did not feature you anywhere, it was a fellow Bong who featured you not I... you have become famous on your own.
As per EU we all know where we it is headed to. They are yet to decide on a common constitution, forget a united future.
As for USA please do not think that USA is too big that's why it has 51 states, look at Canada then, with only over 30 million population one of the the biggest country in the world only has 9 provinces and 4 federally administered territories...
Dumbo it's not the size of the country its the population, the make and the composition of the population which determines the number of provinces in developed countries.
This is exactly like what's happening in the environment field, while the developed countries are going for smaller self-sufficient energy sources and moving towards sustainable development, developing countries like India and China are moving towards destruction with Mega projects that will be unsustainable in the long-run.
Instead of breaking down redundant unmanageable large states into smaller more manageable democratic states, we have always let our egos determine our own way to ruin... Go Figure!!!
Dumbo it's not the size of the country its the population, the make and the composition of the population which determines the number of provinces in developed countries.
No dumbo its both.
And then according to you Bangladesh and China ought to be having a huge number of administrative regions whereas Bangladesh has only 6 and China has only 22. Not does it matter though...
"This is exactly like what's happening in the environment field, while the developed countries are going for smaller self-sufficient energy sources and moving towards sustainable development, developing countries like India and China are moving towards destruction with Mega projects that will be unsustainable in the long-run."
But sometimes mega projects show us the way ahead. Things like a Trans-Himalayan rail/road projects can go a long way in improving the economy. But unfortunately smaller states mean smaller revenues and thus smaller budgets. Every now and then one will have to turn to the Central government for funds, and its allocation will then depend upon the minister and his 'region', thus stalling several important projects.
"Instead of breaking down redundant unmanageable large states into smaller more manageable democratic states, we have always let our egos determine our own way to ruin... Go Figure!!!"
No way mate. I do not have any kind of objection to your getting to be a seperate entity. But what to I object, from a national point of view is the fact that creation of more states, other than creating a bureaucratic behemoth, will also result in decrease of revenue for the Central Government. And that may hamper development.
But hey I am not in any way the supreme authority in this anyway. God knows, maybe the positives of being to get a seperate entity might as well cancel out its negatives. And I just hope that this is what that happens.
Hey you little school going kid,what do you know about the troubles that we have been facing,and what is your problem,you have your bengal,now we want our land gorkhaland,and we will achieve it anyhow.
Hey Dude ANimesh Where were you when Uttaranchal/ Chattishgarh/Jharkhand was created? Gorkhaland is not our Demand its our Right and we will acheive it very soon.....i agree to your saying history repeats and yes correctly once agian ther will be division of bengal in the form of Gorkhaland....
Jai gorkha Land
Check this link
http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/blog-gorkhaland-the-solutions-why-not/#comment-89968
Its funny to see u Nepalese dream of a Gorkhaland......and dream to divide Bengal. Even the British were hard kicked in their butts while trying to divide the province of Bengal and u think, a handful of Chowakidar and Darwaans of Nepalese foreigner origin will divide bengal???
wishful thinking.....ur BJP is not in power....the person whom u illiterate nepalese voted for has been banished from BJP. Now who the fuck will create ur Gorkhaland??? Will u stupid buggers not come to ur senses? Go back to Nepal...u r not an Indian in the first place.....and u dream of a state?? what a joke!
Get gorkhaland.....if u dare to dream of it....all u will get is a big fat Gorkha-LUND instead. Bloody chowkidaar class people.
Need we Gorkhas say anything more. The last comment has summed it up all.
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