Gorkhas should be recognized as an indigenous community: Bhartiya Gorkha Parisangha

Special Correspondent

Silchar: The Bhartiya Gorkha Parisangha (BGP) demanded that Gorkhas in Assam should be recognized as an indigenous community through a gazette notification in order to ensure constitutional rights and safeguard as enshrined in Clause VI of Assam Accord. This should be implemented without further delay as it would also protect their rights over land. Sukhman Moktan, national president, BGP, said this while addressing the northeast zonal organizational camp at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday. This will facilitate the Gorkhas settled in Assam to get recognition as an indigenous community and at the same time smoothen the process of implementation of the Assam Accord.

Sukhman Moktan added to say that joint representation of Gorkhas of the northeast including BGP was made before the High-Level Committee headed by Justice B K Sharma for implementation of Assam Accord. He appealed to Gorkhas living across the northeast and the rest of the country from the Gandhi Bhawan platform to write Gorkha in community segment and mention Nepali/Gorkha language as written in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution.

They have also been requested to return Nepali/Gorkha as mother tongue during nationwide preparation of national population register and national census 2021.

BGP is a national federation and socio-cultural organization of Indian Gorkhas with pan India presence. This northeast organizational camp is being hosted by the Barak Valley region.

All the northeast wings of BGP presented activity reports along with issues and concerns. Jagannath Koirala, northeast zone president, presided over the meet and Lakpa Lama, secretary, BGP zone, moderated the session and the welcome address was delivered by Pradip Rai, president Barak Valley unit.

Sukhman Moktan inaugurated the camp as chief guest. On this occasion, 36 member Barak Valley Gorkha Mahila Parishangha was formed.

Punam Subba was selected as the national convener of Mahila Parisangha. She spoke about the role of women members in community organization and the empowerment of women.

Nanda Kirtati Dewan, national secretary, youth affairs, BGP, touched upon youths as the harbinger of change and also their significant role in maintaining rapport with the media and as a relationship manager.

Akash Lama, general secretary, organization, Abhay Khaling, joint secretary, and Om Prakash, cultural secretary, were also present at the camp.

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