In Bodoland protest of Assam Gorkha for land Rights Why?

Guwahati: Over 2.50 lakh Gorkhas living in four districts of Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) have demanded rights over their occupied lands.

Before the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in 2003, people belonging to the Gorkha community had land documents. But after the establishment of BTC, the area was declared as sixth schedule area due to which the Gorkhas lost their land rights.
The government replaced the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) with the BTC, which was formed in 1995 after the peace accord signed by the Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) militants with the Center and state governments on 10 February 2003.
BTC was renamed after the signing of the Third Bodo Peace Accord signed by the Center and State Governments with leaders of All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), United Bodo People’s Organization (UBPO) and United Bodo People’s Organization (UBPO). Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) was placed. The four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) on 27 January 2020.

On 9 July 2021, the Assam government declared the Gorkhas living in the tribal belt and blocks in BTR as a protected class. It was believed that the move would make it easier for the Gorkha community to buy, sell and transfer land in four districts – Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri.
Under the provisions of Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886, the Government of Assam approved the inclusion of Gorkhas as a reserved class in the tribal belts and blocks of the districts of Kokrajhar, Charang, Baksa and Udalguri, which have been there since 2003. Previously resided. That is, when the districts came under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
There are about 2.5 lakh Gorkhas in Assam, of which about 2.50 lakh live in BTR, most of whom migrated to Assam during the British rule.
The cut-off year of 2003 would ensure that no “newcomers” claiming to belong to the Gorkha community could avail themselves of the benefits granted to permanent residents of Assam.
Two years have passed, the Cabinet decision has not been implemented. “No notification has been issued by the BTC management after the decision of the Assam government cabinet,” said Hemanta Sharma, general secretary of the BTC Gorkha Students’ Union.

“Our ancestors have the land papers. But we cannot transfer the land in our names due to restrictions,” said Sharma.
Circumstances have forced us to raise our voice against BTC management.

On December 7, 2022, all BTC Gorkha Students Union workers gathered in Kokrajhar to celebrate “Jan Bhela” to register their protest against the inaction of BTA authorities.
On 21 December 2022, protesters organized another event “Gana Hankar” at Dhansiri Ghat in Udalguri district to raise voice against BTC.

On 31 December 2022, protesters celebrated “Gorkha Garjjan” in Bagsa.

On 16 January 2023, the organization celebrated “Gorka Ranadenka” in Charang district.
Finally on February 2, 2023, the protesters took out a “jor samadal” from Gorkha Bhavan to the DC office and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Udalguri in this regard.

Sharma also said that “the next program will be held on March 27 in Kokrajhar where all the members of our branch and district units will gather to protest against the inaction on the part of the BTC management.”
Demand for acceptance as domestic community
Apart from the land rights movement, the Gorkhas have been continuously struggling for indigenous status in Assam.

In 2017, there were several rounds of talks between the Government of Assam and the Gorkha Autonomous Council Demand Committee (GACDC), the last round of which was held on 21 February 2017.

“But despite our repeated reminders the final round of talks is yet to be called,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, President, GACDC.
The GACDC also demands a satellite autonomous council for the Gurkhas in the state.

In a memorandum to the then Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah on 2 November 2020, the GACDC urged the government to hold a final round of talks to resolve the “identity crisis” of the Gorkha community in the state. Start again.
“The Gorkhas have been facing an identity crisis due to continuous political deprivation and exploitation and injustice since independence. The community is living in a stifling socio-political environment, losing rights and privileges day by day,” he said. ‘ said Chetry.

The GACDC has sought a gazette notification ensuring that the protections under Article 6 of the Assam Accord of 1985 are extended to the Gorkha people.
The demand for reservations for the Gorkha community intensified with the recommendations of the high-level committee set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the chairmanship of retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma on Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
The committee recommended that not all Gorkhas of Assam are indigenous Assamese people by definition of Assamese people.

“In its report, the High Level Committee on the Implementation of Article VI of the Assam Accord did everything possible to push the Gurkhas into a more precarious situation,” Chetry said.
This plight forced the Gorkha organizations to offer their prayers to the concerned authorities to not be unfair and unjust to the community which has on the one hand strengthened the inclusive culture of the Assamese society and on the other hand the process of nation building. . The recent past,” Chetry also said.
“This situation has forced us to take another protest program ‘death fast’ in April this year after the annual conference held in Morigaon in March,” he said.
“I appeal to everyone not to call us un-Assamese. We are a native tribe. We had a share in the Assam agitation (1979-85). Some of our youth were also martyred in this agitation,” he recalled.
He added, “We undertook a 600-km Pada Yatra from Mukokselek, Junai, Dhemaji and Dispur from June 19 to August 5, 2016. After which the then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal spoke to us at the Brahmaputra State Guest House. Called for a chat,” he added.

But the talks did not yield any result. The government is yet to call the final round. We appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to call the final round. But there is no response from him,” he added.