News Analysis India

Tag: Gurkhaland

  • Gorkhas hurt over AIWC’s ‘Nepali non-Indian language’ snub, threaten legal action

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Gorkhas across India are outraged after the All India Women Conference (AIWC) rejected a performance of artistes from the community on the ground that ‘Nepali’ is a “non-Indian” language.

    On June 9, AIWC executive member and the head of events Chandra Prabha Pandey had sent out a note asking for contributions for an event organised coinciding with “Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav”. The contributions were patriotic songs and dances performed in regional languages.

    When artists from Kalimpong in West Bengal had sent in their contributions, they were allegedly rudely told by Pandey “we cannot showcase performances in non-Indian languages”, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) alleged.

    This had prompted AIWC, Kalimpong secretary Aruna Pradhan to intervene but Pandey allegedly insisted “they cannot send national anthem sung in the Nepali language as it is not a language from India”.

    The BGP expressed shock over how Pandey conducted herself. “It is shocking the AIWC is absolutely ignorant that Nepali language/Gorkha Bhasa is one of the national languages of India spoken by 10.5 million Indian Gorkhas and duly recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution,” BGP youth wing general secretary Ramesh Bastola said.

    Darjeeling MP Raju Bista also expressed shock. “The AIWC has shown deliberate racism against the Gorkha community of our nation by claiming that Nepali is not an Indian language and not allowing a performance in the Nepali language,” he said.

    The Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh asked Pandey to tender a public apology within 24 hours or she would be sued.

    “Our team will file an online petition too so that this incident doesn’t happen again,” a Gorkha leader said.

  • ‘Governor is corrupt’: Fresh war of words erupts between Mamata, Dhankhar

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: A fresh spell of war of words erupted between governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday after the latter branded the former a “corrupt man” and also accused him of being in the chargesheet of the Jain Hawala case.

    Mamata also attacked the governor over his three-day north Bengal visit. She alleged that it was part of the BJP’s game to split the northern part of the state from the rest. BJP MP in north Bengal John Barla recently demanded that the northern part of the state should be made a Union Territory.  In retaliation, Dhankhar termed the allegation as “far from the truth”. The governor said the attack on him was a fallout of his letter asking Mamata to make changes in the draft of his Assembly speech scheduled on July 2.

    “I have written three letters to the Centre requesting the removal of the governor. I am sorry to say that he is a corrupt man. His name was in the chargesheet of the Hawala Jain case. Why should he dictate us terms even after we came to power with a huge mandate?” Mamata asked.

    Dhankhar said, “Her statement is unfortunate. It was not expected from a senior politician of her stature. Her allegation over the Hawala case is far from fact. My name was not mentioned in the chargesheet. Besides, all those whose names were mentioned in the chargesheet were acquitted.” 

    Referring to Dhankhar’s comment on conducting an audit of north Bengal’s autonomous district council Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the Bengal CM said the governor’s north-Bengal tour should be brought under the scanner. “Who accompanied him during the visit, how much is the expenditure for the visit and whom he met there — all should be probed. He met BJP’s MPs, MLAs, and block presidents. His visit was aimed to separate north Bengal from the rest of the state,” Mamata hit out. 

    Shortly after Mamata’s allegation, Dhankhar held a press conference at Raj Bhavan. “There was no audit in the GTA since 2017. The autonomous body GTA has been reduced to a government department and people say it has become a den of corruption and nepotism. The CAG should conduct GTA’s audit. I shall not bow down. I am not wearing kid’s gloves. I will do all I can in my command,” he retaliated.