LIST OF GORKHALI KILLED BY NDFB - BY BIKASH AND BOGIRAM | |
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ASSAM | |
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CHANDRESHWAR PRASAD and MOHUN SHAMSHER | |
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ASSAM GORKHA SAMMELAN
Dr. Jamadagni Upadhyaya
The present Assam Gorkha Sammelan, a socio-cultural organisation of the Assamese-Nepali, was born in 1966, when the existing state branch of the All India Gurkha League (1943) decided to sever its link with the parent body and go it alone, rechristening itself as such. The All India Gurkha League (AIGL) had a nationwide base and had set a unique precedent in the history of the Indian Nepalese by (i) formulating two very sensitive words Jay Gorkha (victory to the Gorkhas) as a token of wish or welcome uttered by its activists throughout India; (ii) adopting slogan instilling a sense of pride : Sadhain gaurav rakhne chhaun Gorkhako (shall always maintain the pride of the Gorkhas); (iii) designing an insignia with two khukuris crossing each other for its emblem and flag; (iv) composing songs such as Uncha rahos uncha rahos/Gorkha jhanda uncha rahos ..... (let the Gorkha flag fly high) to be sung as an anthem and Milijuli Gorkhali/Hatama Gorkha jhanda lee/Bhiri khukuri, hatama Gorkha jhanda lee ....... 1. (O ! Gorkhali, be united and march forward with Gorkha-flags in hands, khukuris strapped around your waist...) to be sung as a marching - song. Basically being a social organisation and born in Darjeeling with the inherent predilection for achieving political rights on behalf of the Indian Nepalese, the All India Gurkha League was expanding its organisational base during its first decade (1943-52) with promises to tackle only the socio-econmic problems of the Nepalese in States they had been living in large numbers with least attention from the state. During the initial stage itself it was possible on the part of the AIGL to gain tremendous popularity and also secure confidence of the masses due to the able leadership of Dambar Sing Gurung and the tireless perseverance of his associates with a view to guiding the Nepalese, one of the most neglected nationalities in India, in the proper direction for ensuring their civil rights which other fortunate brethren had already been enjoying in this promised land. Hence, the AIGL was welcomed warmly by the Nepalese throughout India in general and the undivided Assam in particular. The reason why the AIGL was embraced readily by the Nepalese in Assam was that they had really been in search of such a strong organisation with an able leadership to vent out their cumulative grievances at appropriate level and to get rid of their intractable decade-long problems concerned with livelihood, citizens' rights and other legal claims satisfactorily. The AIGL expanded its network in Assam by constituting numerous local units (1944)2, district branches (1946-47)3 and subsequently a provincial branch by the name of Assam Provincial Gurkha League (1945)4, in vernacular Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League too, covering all the activities of the AIGL in the province. At the initiative of the AIGL's national-level leaders the energetic activists of the Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League (here-in-after the APGL) were advised as to how to go about the problems they had been facing since long back5. Consequently, under the banner of the APGL these helpless Assamese-Nepali, learnt how to stand boldly on their own feet and muster enough courage to move forward in an organised manner to approach and apprise the powers that be for resolution of their grievances. It was because of the AIGL that the Assamese-Nepali were saved from the impending danger to their livelihood of cattle breeding-cum-farming, rights of citizenship and the like6. The strategy of prayers and appeals as means of ensuring civil rights vis-a-vis political perspective could not go a long way in Darjeeling, the birth place of the AIGL where the Nepalis constituted majority and were eager to share political power by fielding their own candidates in the ensuing first general election of 1952 in independent India. Taking cue from the AIGL, a large section of the Nepali elite in Assam too plunged into the power sharing game of politics. Accordingly, the APGL prepared itself for contesting the election and it backed six independent candidates besides one from the Praja Socialist party in different constituencies where there were substantial number of Nepali voters while its counterpart in Darjeeling contested directly under the banner of the AIGL7. The result was encouraging for the AIGL of Darjeeling as all its candidates returned with flying colours to the Bengal Assembly; but for those of Assam it was a disappointing experience, because all the candidates backed by the APGL lost the election miserably. The event became a turning point for the APGL as it raised the question of chalking out future plans and programmes on its own. The APGL activists realised that the strategy adopted by the AIGL in Darjeeling, did not suit the APGL in Assam. The election result clearly revealed the fact that the concentrated and high population of the Nepalese in Darjeeling was in sharp contrast to the sparsely distributed Nepali population in Assam. However, it was not a fact that the AIGL or the APGL was weak in Assam, rather paradoxically it was strong with a wide base and could carry out its organisational activities through its active leaders and devoted cadres. Even most of the national and high-ranking leaders of the AIGL were doyens from Assam, for example, Dalbir Sing Lohar, Chhabilal Upadhyaya, Sete Rana, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, Prasad Sing Subba, Dhruba Nath Joshi, Loknath Joshi, Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Ramji Gyawali, Charudatta Rai, Babur Bahadur Rana, Hari Prasad 'Gorkha' Rai etc. Likewise, most of the localities were strongholds of the League; viz., Tezpur and its periphery, Dibrugarh and its vicinity, Shillong, Tura, Kohima, Sadia-Saikhowaghat, N. Lakhimpur, Digboi, Margherita, Mangaldoi etc. Be that as it may while the APGL after the experience of 1952 was retreating from the idea of contesting the election under the banner of the League, its counterpart in Darjeeling on the contrary was planning to go ahead. This contrast in ideals ultimately became visible in 1955 in the midst of the 10th Conference of the AIGL held at Mateli town of Dooars in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal where the League activists of Darjeeling vigorously pleaded for converting the AIGL to a political party and most of those from Assam did not support it at all. But at the end with majority votes the League became a political party and the attending activists from Assam had to return home with great disappointment8. The rift that had already started with the AIGL henceforth went on deepening gradually with ideological differences, infighting, partisanship, parochialism, orgnisational weakness and overall lack of control of their leaders on the activists after the demise of their charismatic leader Dambar Sing Gurung (1900-1948).
With all these constraints and complexities, the APGL ultimately decided to dissociate itself from the main body and hence it adopted a resolution in its 7th biennial conference held at Dimapur in the same year i.e., in 1955 to sever its ties with the AIGL and also reiterated that the APGL would remain simply a social organisation of the Nepalese in Assam committed for their social reform, economic upliftment, educational development etc.9 No doubt, it seemed to be another major turning point for the Nepalese in Assam to leap one step forward in paving the way for the formation of an independent organisation. However, for that they had to wait again for a decade. With the blinking of the eyes a decade elapsed without any significant activities and achievements in the League, and the original zeal and commitment had been waning rapidly. The APGL was so deserted and inactive that even its biennial conferences were not held from 1955 to 1966 barring one in 1961 at Lanka which was its 10th conference whereas the 8th and 9th ones were dropped.
On the other hand, the lurking memory of the bygone days specially of the four jubilant national conferences of the AIGL held at different places and also the state conferences of the APGL or the regular enthusiastic organisational works performed during their active stage of the organisation could not allow the elderly elites and the energetic youths sit idle. In the wake of a notable decline in executing the objectives of the League in the state, running through a crucial phase, a section of the leading personalities were urged by the common folk either to revive the defunct APGL or to form a new organisation for them10.
Now in this context, another development that took place a few years earlier in Assam, specialy among a section of the elite Assamese-Nepali of the period is worth mentioning here; and that eventually led to the founding of a new social organisation by the name of Assam Nepali Sammelan (1959) with which Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Narapati Upadhyaya, Puspalal Upadhyaya etc. were associated11. The speciality of this organisation was its nomenclature to avoid deliberately two words 'Gorkha' and 'League'. However, with a view to holding its conference somewhere in Assam a meeting was convened in Guwahati and the hardcore supporters of the League were also invited from Lanka, Lumding etc. But the meeting concluded with the resolution that in view of the prevailing situation rather than forming a new organisation the League should be revitalised. Hence it decided to hold a conference under the banner of 'Gorkha League Khoj Committee' (Gorkha League Search Committee) at Lanka in Nagaon district where they proposed to invite all the pro-Sammelan, the pro-League and the intelligentia to arrive at a consensus and then go ahead. But during the conference held on 18, 19 and 20 April, 1961 it was seen that the reception committee of the meet had prepared everything in the name of the APGL calling it the 10th Conference of the Assam Provincial Gurkha League (even as the 8th and the 9th conferences could not be held in time ! ). Because of this fact while Bishnulal Upadhyaya and a few others did not turn up Sete Rana, D.R. Subba, Dhrubanath Joshi, C.B. Chetri, Lil Bahadur Chhetri etc. attended the session. This session was significant as it raised the hotly debated topic whether to change the nomenclature of the APGL to Assam Nepali Sammelan or to unite the latter with the former. Ultimately the issue was dropped for a final decision to a later date and following the tradition a new Executive Committee of the APGL was constituted with Sete Rana as the president and Dhan Raj Subba as the general secretary, both from Shillong, with a promise to give a new life to this gasping organisation; and its head office was proposed to be at Shillong.12 However their aim could not be materialised in spite of all the efforts because most of the state leaders and the grassroot workers had already been feeling alienated from the League. On the other hand, many of them were active workers of national political parties, particularly of the Indian National Congress Party. The average Nepalis wanted an organisation with a strong base and committed to the cause of the Nepalese of Assam but free from all 'politics'.
Hence, keeping aside all rigidity and reservations and with a view to bringing back unity among the Nepalese in Assam through a wide consensus, the hardcore leaders of the APGL and those already alienated from it, decided once again to sit together to discuss the possibility of revitalising the existing base of the APGL, even with the precondition of rechristening the organisation if needed. A general meeting had to be convened in the first week of February, 1966 at Siporia, hardly 12 km to the south of Sootea (Chatia) in Sonitpur district of Assam, where a large number of people assembled with a new hope. After going through a threadbare discussion, it was decided unananimously to hold a conference of the APGL at Garhpal near Siporia in the month of the April. A reception committee was also constituted with Bishnulal Upadhaya, MLA as president, Khemraj Adhikari as general secretary and a total 35 other members from different parts of Assam including Shillong.13 The drive for reactivating all the defunct units and branches and also for constituting new units started throughout the state in full swing. With an aim to appealing the entire Nepalese in Assam to come forward for this noble objective, a leaflet was also published and circulated widely by the reception committee in March . There was an overwhelming response to this call from all sides and thousands of people assembled at the 'Garhpal Conference', famous as such by this name in history. In the consecutive order of the conferences it was the 12th biennial conference of the APGL, although the 11th one was not held as scheduled. Be that as it may, the Garhpal Conference was held with hectic schedules for 3 days from 8 April, 1966. The delegate's were 272 in number representing every nook and corner of the erstwhile greater Assam.14 The spontaneous involvement of the people and their generous help with money and materials for the grand success of the conference will not be forgotten in the history of the APGL. The delegate's session was also a remarkable one where after a thorough deliberation ten important resolutions were adopted out of which the most noteworthy were to appeal to the government for rehabilitating the flood-effected farmers, to allot land for settlement of the graziers and the retired millitary personnel, to extend necessary assistance to the cattle-breeders for increase in milk production, to open a Nepali department in the Gauhati University, to extend the duration of the Nepali programme of the AIR, Guwahati etc. But the 10th resolution was a historic one and it was nothing but to rechristen the organisation as the Assam Gorkha Sammelan instead of Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League. To come to a consensus, the delegates who were already divided into two factions as 'Sammelan supporters' and 'League supporters' had to sit down for full one day and one night and debate, discuss and deliberate. While most of the prominent leaders like Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Durbasa Upadhyaya, Ghanashyam Khanal, Khemraj Adhikari, Amar Bhattarai etc. were for the Sammelan, Sete Rana, Man Bahadur Subba, K.C. Thakur, D.B. Rai, Sukbir Rai, Hom Bahadur Sangraula etc. were for the League. Mutual discussions failed to reconcile the two factions and the only way left was to go for the secret ballot for which Dhrubanath Joshi was selected the Returning Officer.15 Out of the 272 delegates hardly 25 were for the League.16 Inevitably, therefore, in the midst of the last conference of the APGL (1945-1966) and at the end of its twentyone year old history, Assam Gorkha Sammelan (1966) was ultimately born. And except for the amendment of Article 1 providing for the change in the nomenclature of the organisation necessitated by circumtances, the old APGL constitution was retained in all other aspects. The new born organisation was declared to be a purely social and cultural organisation. But its objectives, flag, symbol, motto, units and the district branches remained as they were under the erstwhile APGl _ as all the legacies had been handed over to its immediate nominee.17 This was declared in a huge gathering at the open session on 10 April, 1966 with Mahikanta Das, the then Deputy Speaker of the Assam Assembly and Vice President of the APCC in the chair. Other dignitaries present in this session were Kamakhya Prasad Tripathy, the local MLA and Industry Minister, Dambaru Hazarika, Golok Rajbanshi, Dr. Purna Narayan Singh, Golok Kakati and others. All of them addressed the open session following Dalbir Singh Lohar's eloquent speech. Goodwill messages for this conference had been received from Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, the then Chief Minister of Assam, B.K. Nehru, the then Governor of Assam and from many other leaders. The wholehearted co-operation of the then Deputy Commissioner of Darrang Mr. P.N. Rao was praiseworthy. The Central Executive Committee with a list duly signed by Mahikanta Das, the chairman of the session was constituted with Sete Rana as the president, Dalbir Singh Lohar and Prasad Sing Subba as vice presidents, D.R. Subba, Khemraj Adhikari and D.B. Chetri, all as joint secretaries, D.N. Joshi as treasurer and so on with a total 33 members for a two-year term.18 A decision was also taken to hold its state conference after every two years and the annual convention once a year. Thus, the conference ended successfully on 10 April 1966 with a profound impact on the Assamese-Nepali society, with hopes to yield good results for all.
However, the outcome was not as pleasant as was expected. Because, the result distressed the few hard-core supporters of the League who could not reconcile to the emergence of the Sammelan for long; and barely after a month, they dissociated themselves from it and reconstituted the Assam Prantiya Gorkha League formally at Hawaipur in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Even Sete Rana, the newly-elected president at the Garphal Conference, deserted the Sammelan and joined the reconstituted League.19 Thus the activists of the original APGL were virtually divided into two groups. But with the support of the majority and the cooperation of the elite section of the Assamese-Nepali, the Assam Gorkha Sammelan (here-in -after the AGS) thrived but the League lost the race, in no time. The AGS came up with renewed zeal and completed its first two-year term successfully and went for holding its next conference, the 13th one since the day of the APGL. Information about the conferences and the names of a few of the CEC members of the AGS of each of the sessions are given below.20
13th Conference : 26, 27, 28 April 1968 at Rampur in the erstwhile Lakhimpur district (now Tinsukia district)
President: Dalbir Singh Lohar, Vice Presidents: Bishnulal Upadyaya, Prasad Sing Subba
General Secreatry: D.R. Subba, Treasurer: Lil Bahadur Chhetri
14th Conference: 24, 25, 26, December, 1970 at Bokakhat in the erstwhile Sibsagar district (now Golaghat district)
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya , General Secretary: D. R. Subba
15th Conference: 13, 14, 15 April, 1973 at Patgaon in the erstwhile Goalpara district (now Kokrajhar district)
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya
General Secretary: Swarup Upadhyaya and after 2 months Chandra Bahadur Chhetri.
16th Conference: 24, 25, 26 December 1976 at Guwahati in Kamrup district
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya ,General Secretary: Chandra Bahadur Chetri
17th Conference: 25, 26, 27 December 1981 at Haflong in the North Cachar Hills district President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan
General Secretary: Chandra Binod Chalise
18th Conference: 28, 29, 30 December 1984 at Udaypur in the erstwhile Dibrugarh district(now Tinsukia district)
President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan,Working President: Kul Bahadur Chetri.
General Secretaries: Dhan Bahadur Chetri, Chandra Binod Chalise, Gopal Bahadur Nepali
19th Conference: 13, 14, 15, 16 February, 1988 at Rangachakua in Sonitpur district
President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan ,Vice President: Mani Kumar Subba
General Secretary: Pahal Thapa, 20th Conference: 25, 26, 27 December, 1992
at Guwahati in Kamrup district, President: Mani Kumar Subba
Working President: Rudra Parajuli, Gen. Secretaries: Indra Prasad Guragain
Kashinath Upadhyaya ,Toyanath Dahal(later on resigned)
21st Conference: 10, 11, 12 February, 1995 ,at Moharicamp, Gogamukh in Dhemaji district
President: Mani Kumar Subba,Working President: Rudra Parajuli, General Secretaries: Pahal Thapa
Phanindra Sharma ,Sanman Chetri ,Bishnu Rana
22nd Conference: 22, 23, 24 May 1997 at Harmoti in Lakhimpur district.
President: Mani Kumar Subba, Working President: Rudra Parajuli
General Secretary: Tanka Bahadur Rai
From 1997 to 2000 no conference was held and the CEC of 1997 has been officiating as such with the understanding of the workers and the leaders. Apart from the office-bearers mentioned above in all the sessions, the other prominent members associated with the AGS since its inception were Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, K.C. Thakuri, Narsing Gurung, Chhabilal Upadhyaya, Ramji Gyawali, Hari Prasad 'Gorkha' Rai, Narapati Ghimire, Bal Bahadur Rai, Bhawani Upadhyaya, Motilal Chetri, Gobinda Rawat, Amarnath Upadhyaya, Babulal Ale, Kashinath Upadhaya, Man Bahadur Newar, Puspalal Upadhyay, Sukbir Rai, Dharmananda Upadhyaya, Karna Sing Chetri, Durga Khatiwada, Bhim Bahadur Tiwari, Prabhu Nath Rana etc.
The AGS founded with commitment to fight for the cause of the Assamese-Nepali went ahead raising almost all the demands, specially those relating to the socio-economic issues : to provide land-pattas to those who were in possession of Sarkari land for a long time, to rehabilitate the victims of floods and erosions and so on. It also raised lingo-cultural issues like introduction of Nepali in Universities, Nepali in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, publication of Nepali text books, appointment of teachers for the Nepali subject in schools and colleges, opening of literary cells for Nepali, sanction of holidays on Nepali festive days etc. Regarding issues of civil rights, it appealed to the authorities to revoke evictions and stop deleting names from voter-lists of the genuine Indian Nepalese in the name of foreigners, stop alleged police atrocities and so on. Many other issues even the political ones about which the AGS was gradually overcoming its earlier prejudices were taken in hand for the greater interest of the Nepali in special situations within the codes of civil justice and political rights.21 After the Rampur Conference of 1968, the AGS was rejuvenated, firstly by coming to a consensus in the matter of adopting a few resolutions of historic importance, for example, to demand of the Government to accord the status of Schedule Caste to some communities of the Nepalese in Assam, to demand the central Government for inclusion of the Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Consitution, to depute a delegation for the purpose and so on .22 After the conference was over the workers and the leaders dedicated themselves to organisational work with a view to intensifying the activities of the AGS. At the same time they were apprising the government of their demands and grievances.23
The issues raised by the AGS and the zeal shown in pursuing these earned it a good name. Consequently, its portfolios were considered coveted and for the first time in its history there appeared two aspirants for the post of the president, Bishnulal Upadhyaya from Behali and B.B. Rai from Dibrugarh and likewise for the post of the general secretary also three names were proposed,- Swarup Upadhyaya, Rupnarayan Pathak and Haribhakta Katuwal in the Patgaon Conference of 1973. But ultimately both the posts went uncontested. The same scenario was noticed in the subsequent sessions too. Ultimately in the Udaypur Conference of 1984 a new post of 'working president' had to be created for convenience. However, the AGS did not forget to reiterate its standing demands till they were fulfilled. The resolutions adopted in the conferences and the CEC meetings were of two categories. The first category related appeals or demands to the governments and the authorities concerned for fulfillment of their aspirations and for redressal of their greivances; and the other category comprised of resolution to be acted upon by the AGS itself. A few examples of the first catagory of demands were : Reservation of at least 5 seats in the UPSC and 5 seats in the technical colleges of Assam for the Assamese -Nepali, revocation of the Govt. order of 1969 withdrawing the Nepali cultivator-graziers from the list of protected classes in tribal belts and tribal blocks;24 allotment of a plot of 2 bighas of land in Guwahati for the office of the AGS, recognition of the Nepalese of Assam as Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes, Other Backward Classes and More Other Backward Classes according to their status;25 provision of 15% reservation for them in the services of all Govt. and semi govt. departments, inclusion of Nepali programme in the Doordarshan in Guwahati and extension of time of the AIR Guwahati26 and so on. The resolutions adopted to be executed by the AGS itself were : participation in the rally organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasa Samiti;27 provision of more room for literature by publishing the Sammelan, a literary journal on behalf of the AGS;28 deputation of a delegation of the AGS to New Delhi for participating in tripartite talk with the Government, the opposition parties and the AASU in connection with foreigners' issue 29 and so on so forth. Just when the AGS was trying its best to grapple with the manifold problems faced by the community, the sudden death of Hiralal Patowary, an MP from Mangaldoi Lokasabha constiuency resulting in a by-election with mandatory correction of the voter-lists added more difficulties to it than it had hoped for. It was officially declared that the voter-lists had names of thousands of foreign nationals from Bangladesh and Nepal. Such suspected nationals were asked to prove their Indian nationality within 16 July, 1979. This was indeed one of the major contributive factors for the historic Assam Movement (1979-85) launched by the AASU (All Assam Students' Union) and the AAGSP (All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad) demanding detection and deportation of such nationals from the state. Evidently, therefore, this became a matter of great concern for many Assamese-Nepali served with notice to prove their nationality. The AGS came forward promptly to negotiate the situation lest it should go out of hand owing to misunderstanding or misinterpretations and started convening meetings, discussions, appealing to the people not to be impatient. In a meeting convened on 14 June 1979 at Maradhansiri (Rowta) in Darrang district and attended by Sylvius Condpan, Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Padam Bahadur Chouhan - all MLAs and many other dignitaries, it was decided to depute a deligation to call on Golap Barbara, the then Chief Minister of Assam, the Chief Election Commissioner and others with a view to mitigate the tension. It also decided to constitute a Co-ordination Committee for peace. However, the deputation that met the Chief Minister on 26th June, 1979 did not receive satisfactory response. The delegation which visited New Delhi also faced an interesting situation, for on the day it reached there to call on the ministers and officials, the Janata Government headed by Morarji Desai had to face a no-confidence motion raised by Y.B. Chauhan immediately after the latter's eletion as the leader of opposition on that very day of 9th July, 1979. However, the delegation later called on the Home Minister S.M. Patel, the Law minister Shanti Bhushan, the External Affairs Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, who was in the opposition, Chief Election Commissioner and many other important leaders and officials. The delegates discussed issues like the question of foreign nationals of Nepal and the Nepalese of Indian origin.30
The delegate suggested to all the leaders and the officials they met to fix '30 July, 1976' as a cut off date instead of the NRC of 1952 or the Indira-Mujib Pact of 1971 in the case of Nepalis of foreign origin to differentiate their nationality, as because since that date the RAP (Restricted Area Permit) was enforced by the Government of India for the nationals of Nepal; prior to it there had not been any restriction for the nationals of India and Nepal and they were allowed to go freely and settle anywhere in either land reciprocally on the strength of the existing provisions laid down in the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace And Friendship (1950). Hence at the conclusion of the discussion, the delegates suggested to seal the Indo-Nepal border and to introduce the visa-passport system for the foreign nationals. It appealed to the government to look into the process of correction of the voter lists and issuing notices so that the harassment and humiliation of the genuine Indian Nepalese could be stopped, etc.30a But incidents of alleged harrassment and humiliation of the Assamese-Nepali served with quit India notices continued in spite of all the appeals and requests. However, when Bishnulal Upadhaya, the then President of the AGS and an MLA raised a few questions on this issue on the floor of the Assam Assembly in its winter session, a hopeful and prompt response from the honourable Chief Minister of Assam was issued as follows:31
D.O. Letter No. CMS 152/79
Chief Minister ,Assam,Assam Sachivalaya, Guwahati: 787 1006
November 17, 1979
Dear Shri Upadhyaya.
Please refer to our discussion of 16th instant regarding alleged harassment of Indian citizens of Nepali origin.... I am arranging an enquiry about the specific instances mentioned by you. If any officer is found to have acted with malafide intention, Government will take suitable action against such delinquent officer.
With regards,
Yours Sincerely
Sd. J.N. Hazarika
Shri Bishnulal Upadhyaya, MLA
The notices were withdrawn and the authorities exercised restraints in dealing with the issue.
Another interesting event can also be referred to here that started with the request made by the AGS to the Government of Assam in 1985 for allotment of a plot of land for its office building while Padam Bahadur Chauhan was its president and also State Revenue Minister of the Govt. of Assam. Though after persistent efforts, an allotment order was passed for a plot of 2 bighas of land at Paltan Bazar in the Guwahati city, unfortunately the AGS could not take possession due to some technical problems leading ultimately to the cancellation of the order passed by the Revenue(S) Department, Govt. of Assam vide order No. RSS 22/85/8, Dispur dated 22-1-85 and this chapter had to be closed. But again in 1992 the matter was pursued while Mani Kumar Subba came up as the president of the AGS and MLA to the Assam Legislative Assembly. The matter was reopened with his keen interest. Ultimately, with the perseverence of the AGS recommendation of a plot of land by the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup district vide No. KRS 893/86/30 dt. 1.12.93 could be produced before the Government for consideration. The Government was also pleased to issue an order of the allotment of a plot of land measuring 2 bighas at Paltan Bazar vide NO. RSS 39/94/11-A dt. 1st Feb/94, Revenue Department, Dispur. Later, in the Annual Convention of the AGS held at Galia of Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur district, a resolution was adopted for construction of a two-storey concrete building of 39 feet x 50 feet and name it Mani Kumar Subba Bhawan' in recognition of his charitable work for the organisation. The construction of the building was started in February, 1996 with a jubilant ceremony there.32 During every crisis of the Assamese-Nepali in the state, the AGS has turned out to be a friend in need. While in 1971 about 4500 names of the Assamese-Nepali were deleted from the voter lists in Sadiya, Chunpura and Chapakhowa and when notices were also served to many persons to prove their citizenship at Bokakhat,the AGS was there to intervene and negotiate the situation. Similarly, for parmanent settlement of the ex-servicemen , the AGS has demanded allotment of land at Kimin, Bhairabpur, Bhairabkunda etc.33
The above are only a few examples of numerous such incidents that the AGS has come across over the years. Be that as it may, in the long run it is noticed that many demands of the AGS have been honoured by the government; and in most of the crucial or urgent situations faced by the Assamese-Nepali, the intervention of the AGS has been of immense help for them. Therefore, the AGS with its broad base in Assam is an organisation meant for the masses who rely on it though all of their demands and objectives have not yet been fulfilled. At present it has more than 150 branches in Assam and even in Meghalaya one branch still exists.
The AGS, since its inception till date has acheived directly or indirectly many objectives for the greater interest of the Assamese-Nepali. A few of these achievements are : it helped in providing permanent settlements to the Assamese-Nepali farmers in many districts of Assam; it saved many families from deletion of their names from the voter-lists in many districts of Assam, it stood against the alleged harassments of the Assamese-Nepali during the Assam Movement(1979-85) and in other isolated cases; it helped in sanctioning100 posts of school teachers for the Nepali subject and publishing text books in Nepali; it was instrumental in reinstating the status of 'protected class' to the Nepali cultivator-graziers in the tribal belts and blocks of the state in 1996 that had been withdrawn in 1969 by the Government; it ensured the selection of one APSC member from the Assamese-Nepali community; it ensured the grant of a plot of land for the AGS in the heart of Guwahati city where a building has been constructed for its permanet office-cum-boarding; it ensured the representation of the Assamese-Nepali in the Autonomous councils notified in Assam; and last but not the least, the AGS has been recognised as a force to be reckoned with by the political parties too, both national and regional and is consulted in the matter sharing of power and governance in order to please a greater section of the Assamese-Nepali in the state.
The AGS is concerned about substantial representation of the women folk in the organisation and it has already ventured to open a women's cell called the Assam Gorkha Mahila Sammelan34. Likewise it is thinking about opening a branch for the ex-servicemen also.
The AGS is equally concerned about the well-being of the Nepali brethren of the neighbouring states. It played an active role during the days of arson in Manipur, and during the great exodus of the Nepalese from Meghalaya in the 1980s, at the time of harassment and humiliation meted out to the Nepalese of the North-east India at the Assam-Bengal border in the name of detecting foreigners etc.
In the literary field too the AGS has a glorious history of its own which commenced at its Rampur Conference (1968) with the publication of Adhiveshan Visesank, a special issue of the conference and the introduction of the tradition of publishing Smritigrantha, a souvenir since its 16th conference held in Guwahati (1976). The same tradition is being followed by its district branches during their conferences and also by the AGS itself during its annual conventions. But more important is its Bulletin, the periodical mouthpiece published since 1 June, 1969 till 1981 with a total of 45 issues. Since 1983 the publication has been named Sammelan with maximum literary coverage. Bulletin and Sammelan are the great treatises of the Assamese-Nepali in the context of their history since the mid-half of the 20th century, specially highlighting their troubled days.
To conclude, the AGS has in fact its own base among the Nepalese in Assam comprising of both the primary members in their thousands besides those emotionally associated with it almost in every nook and corner of the state. It has worked in coordination with other organisations of the community, with occasional disagreements on some issues; and it has maintained cordial relations with other ethnic groups of Assam and the neighbouring states.
No doubt, the AGS is a reputed organisation of Assam and that is why, research work on it for a doctoral thesis has also been started in the North Bengal University.35 With all these ups and downs which are quite natural for any organisation, the AGS which has already celebrated its 'Silver Jubulee' along with its 20th Conference is looking forward to better days ahead. No doubt it has been treading on the League's heels with occasional minor changes in its path, like adding on its emblem a 'rising sun' over a bicoloured background recently during its silver jubilee year. However, in course of its long journey spanning almost four decades it has forgotten totally the use of the original anthem Uncha rahos uncha rahos, Gorkha jhanda ...., and also the practice of wishing Jay Gorkha but has retained the motto of Sadhain gaurav rakhne chhaun Gorkhako.
Notes and References
1. Dahal Narabahadur : Darjeelingko Matoma Hurkieka Kehi Jatiya Geetharu; Lankajyoti (Souvenir), 34th annual convention of Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1999; ed. Mohan Subedi; Assam; Pp.31,32.
2. Local Branches or Units of the AIGL were started to be formed since 1944 with the first ever such branch at Tezpur, then at Mongaldoi and at Shillong and so on. By 1947 there were about 80 such branches in Assam. For detail see :
(i) Rai Shiva Kumar : Asambasi Nepali Chinhariko Khojima; Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 20th Conference, Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1992; ed. N.B. Dahal et al; Guwahati, Assam; Pp. 9-10.
(ii) Smritigrantha-Prasad Sing Subba (Souvenir); ed. Durga Prasad Upadhyaya et al; Prasad Sing Subba Smritigrantha Prakashan Samiti, Tezpur, Assam, 1987; Pp. 26-28.
(iii) Sharma P.P. (1997) : Astitwako Khojima; Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasha Samiti, Dehradoon : P. 110.
3. (i) File Documents of Tezpur Jilla Gorkha League available with Sri Bishnulal Upadhyaya, former president of Assam Gorkha Sammelan.
4. (i) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : Samsmaran - Gorkha League ra Sammelanlai Pachhi
Pharkera Herda; Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 21st Conference, Assam Gorkha
Sammelan, 1995; Moharicamp, Dhemaji, Assam; p.79.
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur (ed) : Atitko Ainabhitra Vartamanko Chhabi (editorial); Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 22nd Conference, Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1997; Guwahati, Assam; p.99
Note : In both of these articles (i) and (ii), the foundation year of APGL differs ; in (i) 1945 and in (ii) 1946 are mentioned. Such differences are found in many
articles ; and even some writers go upto 1944. For details see :
(iii) Singh Bhai Nahar and Sing Kirpal (1987) : History of All India Gurkha League 1943-49; Nirmal Publishers Distributors, New Delhi.
Note : Here the foundation date of APGL is mentioned as 8 August 1944.
5. (i) Sharma P. P. (1997) : op. cit.; Pp.110-111.
(ii) Bhandari Purusottam (1996) : Freedom Movement and Role of Indian Nepalese 1800-1950; publisher Mrs. Rama Bhandari, Jagiroad, Assam; p. 68.
6. Note : There are many relevent documents and copies of memorenda of AIGL,
APGL, Tezpur Jilla Gorkha League and other branches saved in the 'cover-
file of the League and possessed by Sri Bishnulal Upadhyaya Ex. MLA to
support this statement.
7. (i) Upadhyaya Bishnulal (1984) : Asame Nepaliharu; Publisher: author himself; Behali, Sonitpur, Assam; P.21
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit. P.80
8. (i) Upadhyaya Bishnulal : Assam Gorkha Sammelan ra Nepaliharuko Rajnaitik
Bhumika; Lankajoti (Souvenir), 34th Annual Convention of Assam
Gorkha Sammelan; ed. Mohan Subedi; Lanka, Nagaon, Assam; p.20.
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit.; P.80.
9. ibid. ; (i) P. 20 (ii) P. 80
10. Upadhyaya Bishnulal : op. cit.; P. 21
11. Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit. ; P.81
12. ibid.; Pp.81-82
13. Dhakal Padma : Garhpal Adhiveshan; Sammelan (Literary mouth-piece of AGS) 23/
64, July 1995; ed. Lil Bahadur Chhetri et al; Guwahati, Assam; Pp.11-12
14. Upadhyaya Bishnulal (1) : Asam Gorkha Sammelan Vartaman Samayko Sandarbhama; Kunherbari Vithika (Souvenir), 3rd annual conference, AGS Biswanath Jilla Samiti, Bargang, Sonitpur, Assam; P.2.
15. Dhakal Padma : op. cit.; P.11-12
16. Upadhyaya Bishnulal (I) : op. cit.; p.2
17. Dhakal Padma : op. cit.; Pp. 16-17
18. (i) Ibid.; p.17
(ii) Guragain Indra : Assam Gorkha Sammelan Hijo, Aja ra Bholi; Smritigrantha (Souvenir) 21st Conference , Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1995; Moharicamp, Dhemaji, Assam; Pp. 21-22
Note : (i) Here in Garhpal Session the CEC is shown as follows : President - Sete Rana, Vice presidents - Chhabilal Sharma & Balbahadur Chetri and General Secretary - D.R. Subba.
Such variations are seen in other articles also.
19. Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit.; p. 83
20. Guragain Indra : op. cit. ; Pp. 21-22 (upto 20th Conference)
21. Upadhyaya Bishnulal : op. cit. ; p.18
22. The Resolution No.5 and No. 6 adopted in Rampur Conference on 28 April 1968.
23. The Memorandum of the AGS submitted to Govt. of India, New Delhi on July 24, 1968.
24. Resolutions of the Haflong Conference published in Bulletin (mouth-piece of the
AGS) No. 45, January 1982 as special Issue on the occasion of the AGS's17th Conference
held at Haflong, NC Hills district, Assam; Pp.2-5
25. Resolutions of the Udaypur Conference published in Sammelan (literary journal of
the AGS)No. 51, June 1985 as full issue; Pp. 12-18.
26. Resolutions of the Moharicamp Conference published in Sammelan (literary journal
of the AGS)No. 62, January1995, as special issue of the Conference; Pp. 34-40.
27. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 44, December 1981; p.1
28. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 45, January 1982; p.4
29. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 46, August 1982; p.9
30. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 24; August 1979; Pp. 1-8
30a ibid.
31. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 28; November 1979; p.5
32. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 68 (Full Issue) 1996; Pp. 29-30.
33. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 15; 1971; p.1, 4, 15
34. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 64 (Full Issue) 1995; p. 44.
35. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 57, October; 1993; p.16
Note : At the time of 4th Annual Conference of the AIGL held at Tezpur in April
1947 there were total 6 district branches of AIGL foundeded in Assam. For
reference see :
(ii) Rai Shiva Kumar : op. cit. p.10.
Nepalis in Assam warn Ghising
GNLF BLAMED FOR BEHEADING STATUES FROM WASBIR HUSSAIN
Guwahati, July 14
An estimated three million Nepalis in the north-eastern region have condemned the decapitation of the statues of poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya in Darjeeling and Kurseong on Friday and are planning an agitation in protest against this “outrageous act.”
Some of the Nepali leaders here directly hold the GNLF, led by Mr Subhas Ghising, responsible for such acts of vandalism and have warned the Gorkha leader to desist from indulging in “shameful and anti-national acts.”
The secretary of the Assam unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasa Samity, Mr R.P. Sarmah, told The Telegraph that they will burn effigies of Mr Ghising here next month in protest against his “devious designs.”
An agitated Mr Sarmah dashed off a telegram to Mr Ghising on Sunday saying, "Three million Assam Nepalis strongly condemn your shameful and antinational act of decapitating the oldest Bhanu Bhakta statue at Chowrasta.” He accused the Gorkha leader of trying to “divide and weaken” the Nepali community in India by demanding constitutional recognition to the “Gorkhali” language.
Mr Sarmah said, “There is nothing called a Gorkahli language. I challenge Mr Ghising to translate a single sentence from Nepali to Gorkhali and show us the difference. Mr Ghising has written 20 novels in Nepali and now he is demanding recognition to what he calls Gorkhali. He is whipping up such sentiments demand for his own selfish interests.”
N-E Cong resolution sparks off controversy: At a time when the dispute over the nomenclature is leading to a sharp polarisation of Nepalis, a resolution on the issue at the seventh annual conference of the north-east Congress(I) co-ordination committee here last fortnight sparked off a fresh controversy.
The committee, in a report discussed at the conference, sought the immediate inclusion of the “Nepali-Gorkhali” language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Congress(I) leaders were perhaps aware of the serious implications of the coinage Nepali-Gorkhali and so did not elaborate on the issue except noting that “as everyone is acquainted with the various aspects of this demand, no explanatory note is necessary.”
The resolution evoked sharp criticism from pro-Nepali organisations. In a telegram to the Prime Minister and the Union minister of coal, Mr P.A. Sangma, who is the northeastern Congress co-ordination committee chairman, Mr Sarmah of the Bhasa Samity said only “Nepali” should be included in the Eighth Schedule. He appealed to Congressmen not to be swayed by Mr Ghising’s demands.
The Congress(I), in an apparent bid to keep the GNLF in good humour, has coined the phrase “Nepali-Gorkhali” and is now trying to justify its decision by saying that they are “one and the same language.” Mr Mani Kumar Subba a Congress(I) MLA from Assam, who flagged off the Bhanu Jayanti cultural procession here yesterday, said, “Our main concern is that our language should get its due recognition and we should not fight over the nomenclature. Therefore we have described it as NepaliGorkhali. An agitation over language issue will harm our community.”
All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) has alleged that that there is a clear indication that Nagaland government is encouraging "new settlers" in the Merapani areas in connivance with "CRPF and the district administration."
In a press statement release Thursday, AAGSU said that the development has a cause of concern not only for Assamese people but also for Nagas residing across the border who fear adverse action from Assamese civil society and the state administration.
The AAGSU claimed that its team had "visited the Panjan area of Naojan, Noukhuti area of Chungajan, various areas under Uriamghat, Daldali and Chandanpur area of the Sarupani and Bhelowguri area of Merapani and the upper Merapani area where there are evidences of Naga settlement in Assam's land."
Gorkha students' body further alleged that community halls, churches, schools recognized by the government of Nagaland have been constructed and "Entrance and Welcome gates have been erected with a sizeable population in the Panjan area under Naojan police station." Citing their findings, AAGSU accused the Assam administration of remaining a mute spectator.
AAGSU information and publicity secretary Nanda Kirati Dewan said the student body can provide evidences to chief minister of Assam on "Naga settlement in Assam's land in Panjan, Noukhuti and entire stretch from Merapani to Sarupani.
It is very unfortunate that the head of the state has been downplaying all reports on Naga encroachment put forth by the media, students unions, social democratic organisations and trying to justify government inaction in all cases."
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION...........
ASSAM GORKHA SAMMELAN
Dr. Jamadagni Upadhyaya
The present Assam Gorkha Sammelan, a socio-cultural organisation of the Assamese-Nepali, was born in 1966, when the existing state branch of the All India Gurkha League (1943) decided to sever its link with the parent body and go it alone, rechristening itself as such. The All India Gurkha League (AIGL) had a nationwide base and had set a unique precedent in the history of the Indian Nepalese by (i) formulating two very sensitive words Jay Gorkha (victory to the Gorkhas) as a token of wish or welcome uttered by its activists throughout India; (ii) adopting slogan instilling a sense of pride : Sadhain gaurav rakhne chhaun Gorkhako (shall always maintain the pride of the Gorkhas); (iii) designing an insignia with two khukuris crossing each other for its emblem and flag; (iv) composing songs such as Uncha rahos uncha rahos/Gorkha jhanda uncha rahos ..... (let the Gorkha flag fly high) to be sung as an anthem and Milijuli Gorkhali/Hatama Gorkha jhanda lee/Bhiri khukuri, hatama Gorkha jhanda lee ....... 1. (O ! Gorkhali, be united and march forward with Gorkha-flags in hands, khukuris strapped around your waist...) to be sung as a marching - song. Basically being a social organisation and born in Darjeeling with the inherent predilection for achieving political rights on behalf of the Indian Nepalese, the All India Gurkha League was expanding its organisational base during its first decade (1943-52) with promises to tackle only the socio-econmic problems of the Nepalese in States they had been living in large numbers with least attention from the state. During the initial stage itself it was possible on the part of the AIGL to gain tremendous popularity and also secure confidence of the masses due to the able leadership of Dambar Sing Gurung and the tireless perseverance of his associates with a view to guiding the Nepalese, one of the most neglected nationalities in India, in the proper direction for ensuring their civil rights which other fortunate brethren had already been enjoying in this promised land. Hence, the AIGL was welcomed warmly by the Nepalese throughout India in general and the undivided Assam in particular. The reason why the AIGL was embraced readily by the Nepalese in Assam was that they had really been in search of such a strong organisation with an able leadership to vent out their cumulative grievances at appropriate level and to get rid of their intractable decade-long problems concerned with livelihood, citizens' rights and other legal claims satisfactorily. The AIGL expanded its network in Assam by constituting numerous local units (1944)2, district branches (1946-47)3 and subsequently a provincial branch by the name of Assam Provincial Gurkha League (1945)4, in vernacular Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League too, covering all the activities of the AIGL in the province. At the initiative of the AIGL's national-level leaders the energetic activists of the Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League (here-in-after the APGL) were advised as to how to go about the problems they had been facing since long back5. Consequently, under the banner of the APGL these helpless Assamese-Nepali, learnt how to stand boldly on their own feet and muster enough courage to move forward in an organised manner to approach and apprise the powers that be for resolution of their grievances. It was because of the AIGL that the Assamese-Nepali were saved from the impending danger to their livelihood of cattle breeding-cum-farming, rights of citizenship and the like6. The strategy of prayers and appeals as means of ensuring civil rights vis-a-vis political perspective could not go a long way in Darjeeling, the birth place of the AIGL where the Nepalis constituted majority and were eager to share political power by fielding their own candidates in the ensuing first general election of 1952 in independent India. Taking cue from the AIGL, a large section of the Nepali elite in Assam too plunged into the power sharing game of politics. Accordingly, the APGL prepared itself for contesting the election and it backed six independent candidates besides one from the Praja Socialist party in different constituencies where there were substantial number of Nepali voters while its counterpart in Darjeeling contested directly under the banner of the AIGL7. The result was encouraging for the AIGL of Darjeeling as all its candidates returned with flying colours to the Bengal Assembly; but for those of Assam it was a disappointing experience, because all the candidates backed by the APGL lost the election miserably. The event became a turning point for the APGL as it raised the question of chalking out future plans and programmes on its own. The APGL activists realised that the strategy adopted by the AIGL in Darjeeling, did not suit the APGL in Assam. The election result clearly revealed the fact that the concentrated and high population of the Nepalese in Darjeeling was in sharp contrast to the sparsely distributed Nepali population in Assam. However, it was not a fact that the AIGL or the APGL was weak in Assam, rather paradoxically it was strong with a wide base and could carry out its organisational activities through its active leaders and devoted cadres. Even most of the national and high-ranking leaders of the AIGL were doyens from Assam, for example, Dalbir Sing Lohar, Chhabilal Upadhyaya, Sete Rana, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, Prasad Sing Subba, Dhruba Nath Joshi, Loknath Joshi, Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Ramji Gyawali, Charudatta Rai, Babur Bahadur Rana, Hari Prasad 'Gorkha' Rai etc. Likewise, most of the localities were strongholds of the League; viz., Tezpur and its periphery, Dibrugarh and its vicinity, Shillong, Tura, Kohima, Sadia-Saikhowaghat, N. Lakhimpur, Digboi, Margherita, Mangaldoi etc. Be that as it may while the APGL after the experience of 1952 was retreating from the idea of contesting the election under the banner of the League, its counterpart in Darjeeling on the contrary was planning to go ahead. This contrast in ideals ultimately became visible in 1955 in the midst of the 10th Conference of the AIGL held at Mateli town of Dooars in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal where the League activists of Darjeeling vigorously pleaded for converting the AIGL to a political party and most of those from Assam did not support it at all. But at the end with majority votes the League became a political party and the attending activists from Assam had to return home with great disappointment8. The rift that had already started with the AIGL henceforth went on deepening gradually with ideological differences, infighting, partisanship, parochialism, orgnisational weakness and overall lack of control of their leaders on the activists after the demise of their charismatic leader Dambar Sing Gurung (1900-1948).
With all these constraints and complexities, the APGL ultimately decided to dissociate itself from the main body and hence it adopted a resolution in its 7th biennial conference held at Dimapur in the same year i.e., in 1955 to sever its ties with the AIGL and also reiterated that the APGL would remain simply a social organisation of the Nepalese in Assam committed for their social reform, economic upliftment, educational development etc.9 No doubt, it seemed to be another major turning point for the Nepalese in Assam to leap one step forward in paving the way for the formation of an independent organisation. However, for that they had to wait again for a decade. With the blinking of the eyes a decade elapsed without any significant activities and achievements in the League, and the original zeal and commitment had been waning rapidly. The APGL was so deserted and inactive that even its biennial conferences were not held from 1955 to 1966 barring one in 1961 at Lanka which was its 10th conference whereas the 8th and 9th ones were dropped.
On the other hand, the lurking memory of the bygone days specially of the four jubilant national conferences of the AIGL held at different places and also the state conferences of the APGL or the regular enthusiastic organisational works performed during their active stage of the organisation could not allow the elderly elites and the energetic youths sit idle. In the wake of a notable decline in executing the objectives of the League in the state, running through a crucial phase, a section of the leading personalities were urged by the common folk either to revive the defunct APGL or to form a new organisation for them10.
Now in this context, another development that took place a few years earlier in Assam, specialy among a section of the elite Assamese-Nepali of the period is worth mentioning here; and that eventually led to the founding of a new social organisation by the name of Assam Nepali Sammelan (1959) with which Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Narapati Upadhyaya, Puspalal Upadhyaya etc. were associated11. The speciality of this organisation was its nomenclature to avoid deliberately two words 'Gorkha' and 'League'. However, with a view to holding its conference somewhere in Assam a meeting was convened in Guwahati and the hardcore supporters of the League were also invited from Lanka, Lumding etc. But the meeting concluded with the resolution that in view of the prevailing situation rather than forming a new organisation the League should be revitalised. Hence it decided to hold a conference under the banner of 'Gorkha League Khoj Committee' (Gorkha League Search Committee) at Lanka in Nagaon district where they proposed to invite all the pro-Sammelan, the pro-League and the intelligentia to arrive at a consensus and then go ahead. But during the conference held on 18, 19 and 20 April, 1961 it was seen that the reception committee of the meet had prepared everything in the name of the APGL calling it the 10th Conference of the Assam Provincial Gurkha League (even as the 8th and the 9th conferences could not be held in time ! ). Because of this fact while Bishnulal Upadhyaya and a few others did not turn up Sete Rana, D.R. Subba, Dhrubanath Joshi, C.B. Chetri, Lil Bahadur Chhetri etc. attended the session. This session was significant as it raised the hotly debated topic whether to change the nomenclature of the APGL to Assam Nepali Sammelan or to unite the latter with the former. Ultimately the issue was dropped for a final decision to a later date and following the tradition a new Executive Committee of the APGL was constituted with Sete Rana as the president and Dhan Raj Subba as the general secretary, both from Shillong, with a promise to give a new life to this gasping organisation; and its head office was proposed to be at Shillong.12 However their aim could not be materialised in spite of all the efforts because most of the state leaders and the grassroot workers had already been feeling alienated from the League. On the other hand, many of them were active workers of national political parties, particularly of the Indian National Congress Party. The average Nepalis wanted an organisation with a strong base and committed to the cause of the Nepalese of Assam but free from all 'politics'.
Hence, keeping aside all rigidity and reservations and with a view to bringing back unity among the Nepalese in Assam through a wide consensus, the hardcore leaders of the APGL and those already alienated from it, decided once again to sit together to discuss the possibility of revitalising the existing base of the APGL, even with the precondition of rechristening the organisation if needed. A general meeting had to be convened in the first week of February, 1966 at Siporia, hardly 12 km to the south of Sootea (Chatia) in Sonitpur district of Assam, where a large number of people assembled with a new hope. After going through a threadbare discussion, it was decided unananimously to hold a conference of the APGL at Garhpal near Siporia in the month of the April. A reception committee was also constituted with Bishnulal Upadhaya, MLA as president, Khemraj Adhikari as general secretary and a total 35 other members from different parts of Assam including Shillong.13 The drive for reactivating all the defunct units and branches and also for constituting new units started throughout the state in full swing. With an aim to appealing the entire Nepalese in Assam to come forward for this noble objective, a leaflet was also published and circulated widely by the reception committee in March . There was an overwhelming response to this call from all sides and thousands of people assembled at the 'Garhpal Conference', famous as such by this name in history. In the consecutive order of the conferences it was the 12th biennial conference of the APGL, although the 11th one was not held as scheduled. Be that as it may, the Garhpal Conference was held with hectic schedules for 3 days from 8 April, 1966. The delegate's were 272 in number representing every nook and corner of the erstwhile greater Assam.14 The spontaneous involvement of the people and their generous help with money and materials for the grand success of the conference will not be forgotten in the history of the APGL. The delegate's session was also a remarkable one where after a thorough deliberation ten important resolutions were adopted out of which the most noteworthy were to appeal to the government for rehabilitating the flood-effected farmers, to allot land for settlement of the graziers and the retired millitary personnel, to extend necessary assistance to the cattle-breeders for increase in milk production, to open a Nepali department in the Gauhati University, to extend the duration of the Nepali programme of the AIR, Guwahati etc. But the 10th resolution was a historic one and it was nothing but to rechristen the organisation as the Assam Gorkha Sammelan instead of Assam Pradeshik Gorkha League. To come to a consensus, the delegates who were already divided into two factions as 'Sammelan supporters' and 'League supporters' had to sit down for full one day and one night and debate, discuss and deliberate. While most of the prominent leaders like Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Durbasa Upadhyaya, Ghanashyam Khanal, Khemraj Adhikari, Amar Bhattarai etc. were for the Sammelan, Sete Rana, Man Bahadur Subba, K.C. Thakur, D.B. Rai, Sukbir Rai, Hom Bahadur Sangraula etc. were for the League. Mutual discussions failed to reconcile the two factions and the only way left was to go for the secret ballot for which Dhrubanath Joshi was selected the Returning Officer.15 Out of the 272 delegates hardly 25 were for the League.16 Inevitably, therefore, in the midst of the last conference of the APGL (1945-1966) and at the end of its twentyone year old history, Assam Gorkha Sammelan (1966) was ultimately born. And except for the amendment of Article 1 providing for the change in the nomenclature of the organisation necessitated by circumtances, the old APGL constitution was retained in all other aspects. The new born organisation was declared to be a purely social and cultural organisation. But its objectives, flag, symbol, motto, units and the district branches remained as they were under the erstwhile APGl _ as all the legacies had been handed over to its immediate nominee.17 This was declared in a huge gathering at the open session on 10 April, 1966 with Mahikanta Das, the then Deputy Speaker of the Assam Assembly and Vice President of the APCC in the chair. Other dignitaries present in this session were Kamakhya Prasad Tripathy, the local MLA and Industry Minister, Dambaru Hazarika, Golok Rajbanshi, Dr. Purna Narayan Singh, Golok Kakati and others. All of them addressed the open session following Dalbir Singh Lohar's eloquent speech. Goodwill messages for this conference had been received from Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, the then Chief Minister of Assam, B.K. Nehru, the then Governor of Assam and from many other leaders. The wholehearted co-operation of the then Deputy Commissioner of Darrang Mr. P.N. Rao was praiseworthy. The Central Executive Committee with a list duly signed by Mahikanta Das, the chairman of the session was constituted with Sete Rana as the president, Dalbir Singh Lohar and Prasad Sing Subba as vice presidents, D.R. Subba, Khemraj Adhikari and D.B. Chetri, all as joint secretaries, D.N. Joshi as treasurer and so on with a total 33 members for a two-year term.18 A decision was also taken to hold its state conference after every two years and the annual convention once a year. Thus, the conference ended successfully on 10 April 1966 with a profound impact on the Assamese-Nepali society, with hopes to yield good results for all.
However, the outcome was not as pleasant as was expected. Because, the result distressed the few hard-core supporters of the League who could not reconcile to the emergence of the Sammelan for long; and barely after a month, they dissociated themselves from it and reconstituted the Assam Prantiya Gorkha League formally at Hawaipur in Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Even Sete Rana, the newly-elected president at the Garphal Conference, deserted the Sammelan and joined the reconstituted League.19 Thus the activists of the original APGL were virtually divided into two groups. But with the support of the majority and the cooperation of the elite section of the Assamese-Nepali, the Assam Gorkha Sammelan (here-in -after the AGS) thrived but the League lost the race, in no time. The AGS came up with renewed zeal and completed its first two-year term successfully and went for holding its next conference, the 13th one since the day of the APGL. Information about the conferences and the names of a few of the CEC members of the AGS of each of the sessions are given below.20
13th Conference : 26, 27, 28 April 1968 at Rampur in the erstwhile Lakhimpur district (now Tinsukia district)
President: Dalbir Singh Lohar, Vice Presidents: Bishnulal Upadyaya, Prasad Sing Subba
General Secreatry: D.R. Subba, Treasurer: Lil Bahadur Chhetri
14th Conference: 24, 25, 26, December, 1970 at Bokakhat in the erstwhile Sibsagar district (now Golaghat district)
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya , General Secretary: D. R. Subba
15th Conference: 13, 14, 15 April, 1973 at Patgaon in the erstwhile Goalpara district (now Kokrajhar district)
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya
General Secretary: Swarup Upadhyaya and after 2 months Chandra Bahadur Chhetri.
16th Conference: 24, 25, 26 December 1976 at Guwahati in Kamrup district
President: Bishnulal Upadhyaya ,General Secretary: Chandra Bahadur Chetri
17th Conference: 25, 26, 27 December 1981 at Haflong in the North Cachar Hills district President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan
General Secretary: Chandra Binod Chalise
18th Conference: 28, 29, 30 December 1984 at Udaypur in the erstwhile Dibrugarh district(now Tinsukia district)
President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan,Working President: Kul Bahadur Chetri.
General Secretaries: Dhan Bahadur Chetri, Chandra Binod Chalise, Gopal Bahadur Nepali
19th Conference: 13, 14, 15, 16 February, 1988 at Rangachakua in Sonitpur district
President: Padam Bahadur Chauhan ,Vice President: Mani Kumar Subba
General Secretary: Pahal Thapa, 20th Conference: 25, 26, 27 December, 1992
at Guwahati in Kamrup district, President: Mani Kumar Subba
Working President: Rudra Parajuli, Gen. Secretaries: Indra Prasad Guragain
Kashinath Upadhyaya ,Toyanath Dahal(later on resigned)
21st Conference: 10, 11, 12 February, 1995 ,at Moharicamp, Gogamukh in Dhemaji district
President: Mani Kumar Subba,Working President: Rudra Parajuli, General Secretaries: Pahal Thapa
Phanindra Sharma ,Sanman Chetri ,Bishnu Rana
22nd Conference: 22, 23, 24 May 1997 at Harmoti in Lakhimpur district.
President: Mani Kumar Subba, Working President: Rudra Parajuli
General Secretary: Tanka Bahadur Rai
From 1997 to 2000 no conference was held and the CEC of 1997 has been officiating as such with the understanding of the workers and the leaders. Apart from the office-bearers mentioned above in all the sessions, the other prominent members associated with the AGS since its inception were Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan, K.C. Thakuri, Narsing Gurung, Chhabilal Upadhyaya, Ramji Gyawali, Hari Prasad 'Gorkha' Rai, Narapati Ghimire, Bal Bahadur Rai, Bhawani Upadhyaya, Motilal Chetri, Gobinda Rawat, Amarnath Upadhyaya, Babulal Ale, Kashinath Upadhaya, Man Bahadur Newar, Puspalal Upadhyay, Sukbir Rai, Dharmananda Upadhyaya, Karna Sing Chetri, Durga Khatiwada, Bhim Bahadur Tiwari, Prabhu Nath Rana etc.
The AGS founded with commitment to fight for the cause of the Assamese-Nepali went ahead raising almost all the demands, specially those relating to the socio-economic issues : to provide land-pattas to those who were in possession of Sarkari land for a long time, to rehabilitate the victims of floods and erosions and so on. It also raised lingo-cultural issues like introduction of Nepali in Universities, Nepali in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, publication of Nepali text books, appointment of teachers for the Nepali subject in schools and colleges, opening of literary cells for Nepali, sanction of holidays on Nepali festive days etc. Regarding issues of civil rights, it appealed to the authorities to revoke evictions and stop deleting names from voter-lists of the genuine Indian Nepalese in the name of foreigners, stop alleged police atrocities and so on. Many other issues even the political ones about which the AGS was gradually overcoming its earlier prejudices were taken in hand for the greater interest of the Nepali in special situations within the codes of civil justice and political rights.21 After the Rampur Conference of 1968, the AGS was rejuvenated, firstly by coming to a consensus in the matter of adopting a few resolutions of historic importance, for example, to demand of the Government to accord the status of Schedule Caste to some communities of the Nepalese in Assam, to demand the central Government for inclusion of the Nepali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Consitution, to depute a delegation for the purpose and so on .22 After the conference was over the workers and the leaders dedicated themselves to organisational work with a view to intensifying the activities of the AGS. At the same time they were apprising the government of their demands and grievances.23
The issues raised by the AGS and the zeal shown in pursuing these earned it a good name. Consequently, its portfolios were considered coveted and for the first time in its history there appeared two aspirants for the post of the president, Bishnulal Upadhyaya from Behali and B.B. Rai from Dibrugarh and likewise for the post of the general secretary also three names were proposed,- Swarup Upadhyaya, Rupnarayan Pathak and Haribhakta Katuwal in the Patgaon Conference of 1973. But ultimately both the posts went uncontested. The same scenario was noticed in the subsequent sessions too. Ultimately in the Udaypur Conference of 1984 a new post of 'working president' had to be created for convenience. However, the AGS did not forget to reiterate its standing demands till they were fulfilled. The resolutions adopted in the conferences and the CEC meetings were of two categories. The first category related appeals or demands to the governments and the authorities concerned for fulfillment of their aspirations and for redressal of their greivances; and the other category comprised of resolution to be acted upon by the AGS itself. A few examples of the first catagory of demands were : Reservation of at least 5 seats in the UPSC and 5 seats in the technical colleges of Assam for the Assamese -Nepali, revocation of the Govt. order of 1969 withdrawing the Nepali cultivator-graziers from the list of protected classes in tribal belts and tribal blocks;24 allotment of a plot of 2 bighas of land in Guwahati for the office of the AGS, recognition of the Nepalese of Assam as Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes, Other Backward Classes and More Other Backward Classes according to their status;25 provision of 15% reservation for them in the services of all Govt. and semi govt. departments, inclusion of Nepali programme in the Doordarshan in Guwahati and extension of time of the AIR Guwahati26 and so on. The resolutions adopted to be executed by the AGS itself were : participation in the rally organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasa Samiti;27 provision of more room for literature by publishing the Sammelan, a literary journal on behalf of the AGS;28 deputation of a delegation of the AGS to New Delhi for participating in tripartite talk with the Government, the opposition parties and the AASU in connection with foreigners' issue 29 and so on so forth. Just when the AGS was trying its best to grapple with the manifold problems faced by the community, the sudden death of Hiralal Patowary, an MP from Mangaldoi Lokasabha constiuency resulting in a by-election with mandatory correction of the voter-lists added more difficulties to it than it had hoped for. It was officially declared that the voter-lists had names of thousands of foreign nationals from Bangladesh and Nepal. Such suspected nationals were asked to prove their Indian nationality within 16 July, 1979. This was indeed one of the major contributive factors for the historic Assam Movement (1979-85) launched by the AASU (All Assam Students' Union) and the AAGSP (All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad) demanding detection and deportation of such nationals from the state. Evidently, therefore, this became a matter of great concern for many Assamese-Nepali served with notice to prove their nationality. The AGS came forward promptly to negotiate the situation lest it should go out of hand owing to misunderstanding or misinterpretations and started convening meetings, discussions, appealing to the people not to be impatient. In a meeting convened on 14 June 1979 at Maradhansiri (Rowta) in Darrang district and attended by Sylvius Condpan, Bishnulal Upadhyaya, Padam Bahadur Chouhan - all MLAs and many other dignitaries, it was decided to depute a deligation to call on Golap Barbara, the then Chief Minister of Assam, the Chief Election Commissioner and others with a view to mitigate the tension. It also decided to constitute a Co-ordination Committee for peace. However, the deputation that met the Chief Minister on 26th June, 1979 did not receive satisfactory response. The delegation which visited New Delhi also faced an interesting situation, for on the day it reached there to call on the ministers and officials, the Janata Government headed by Morarji Desai had to face a no-confidence motion raised by Y.B. Chauhan immediately after the latter's eletion as the leader of opposition on that very day of 9th July, 1979. However, the delegation later called on the Home Minister S.M. Patel, the Law minister Shanti Bhushan, the External Affairs Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, who was in the opposition, Chief Election Commissioner and many other important leaders and officials. The delegates discussed issues like the question of foreign nationals of Nepal and the Nepalese of Indian origin.30
The delegate suggested to all the leaders and the officials they met to fix '30 July, 1976' as a cut off date instead of the NRC of 1952 or the Indira-Mujib Pact of 1971 in the case of Nepalis of foreign origin to differentiate their nationality, as because since that date the RAP (Restricted Area Permit) was enforced by the Government of India for the nationals of Nepal; prior to it there had not been any restriction for the nationals of India and Nepal and they were allowed to go freely and settle anywhere in either land reciprocally on the strength of the existing provisions laid down in the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace And Friendship (1950). Hence at the conclusion of the discussion, the delegates suggested to seal the Indo-Nepal border and to introduce the visa-passport system for the foreign nationals. It appealed to the government to look into the process of correction of the voter lists and issuing notices so that the harassment and humiliation of the genuine Indian Nepalese could be stopped, etc.30a But incidents of alleged harrassment and humiliation of the Assamese-Nepali served with quit India notices continued in spite of all the appeals and requests. However, when Bishnulal Upadhaya, the then President of the AGS and an MLA raised a few questions on this issue on the floor of the Assam Assembly in its winter session, a hopeful and prompt response from the honourable Chief Minister of Assam was issued as follows:31
D.O. Letter No. CMS 152/79
Chief Minister ,Assam,Assam Sachivalaya, Guwahati: 787 1006
November 17, 1979
Dear Shri Upadhyaya.
Please refer to our discussion of 16th instant regarding alleged harassment of Indian citizens of Nepali origin.... I am arranging an enquiry about the specific instances mentioned by you. If any officer is found to have acted with malafide intention, Government will take suitable action against such delinquent officer.
With regards,
Yours Sincerely
Sd. J.N. Hazarika
Shri Bishnulal Upadhyaya, MLA
The notices were withdrawn and the authorities exercised restraints in dealing with the issue.
Another interesting event can also be referred to here that started with the request made by the AGS to the Government of Assam in 1985 for allotment of a plot of land for its office building while Padam Bahadur Chauhan was its president and also State Revenue Minister of the Govt. of Assam. Though after persistent efforts, an allotment order was passed for a plot of 2 bighas of land at Paltan Bazar in the Guwahati city, unfortunately the AGS could not take possession due to some technical problems leading ultimately to the cancellation of the order passed by the Revenue(S) Department, Govt. of Assam vide order No. RSS 22/85/8, Dispur dated 22-1-85 and this chapter had to be closed. But again in 1992 the matter was pursued while Mani Kumar Subba came up as the president of the AGS and MLA to the Assam Legislative Assembly. The matter was reopened with his keen interest. Ultimately, with the perseverence of the AGS recommendation of a plot of land by the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup district vide No. KRS 893/86/30 dt. 1.12.93 could be produced before the Government for consideration. The Government was also pleased to issue an order of the allotment of a plot of land measuring 2 bighas at Paltan Bazar vide NO. RSS 39/94/11-A dt. 1st Feb/94, Revenue Department, Dispur. Later, in the Annual Convention of the AGS held at Galia of Biswanath Chariali in Sonitpur district, a resolution was adopted for construction of a two-storey concrete building of 39 feet x 50 feet and name it Mani Kumar Subba Bhawan' in recognition of his charitable work for the organisation. The construction of the building was started in February, 1996 with a jubilant ceremony there.32 During every crisis of the Assamese-Nepali in the state, the AGS has turned out to be a friend in need. While in 1971 about 4500 names of the Assamese-Nepali were deleted from the voter lists in Sadiya, Chunpura and Chapakhowa and when notices were also served to many persons to prove their citizenship at Bokakhat,the AGS was there to intervene and negotiate the situation. Similarly, for parmanent settlement of the ex-servicemen , the AGS has demanded allotment of land at Kimin, Bhairabpur, Bhairabkunda etc.33
The above are only a few examples of numerous such incidents that the AGS has come across over the years. Be that as it may, in the long run it is noticed that many demands of the AGS have been honoured by the government; and in most of the crucial or urgent situations faced by the Assamese-Nepali, the intervention of the AGS has been of immense help for them. Therefore, the AGS with its broad base in Assam is an organisation meant for the masses who rely on it though all of their demands and objectives have not yet been fulfilled. At present it has more than 150 branches in Assam and even in Meghalaya one branch still exists.
The AGS, since its inception till date has acheived directly or indirectly many objectives for the greater interest of the Assamese-Nepali. A few of these achievements are : it helped in providing permanent settlements to the Assamese-Nepali farmers in many districts of Assam; it saved many families from deletion of their names from the voter-lists in many districts of Assam, it stood against the alleged harassments of the Assamese-Nepali during the Assam Movement(1979-85) and in other isolated cases; it helped in sanctioning100 posts of school teachers for the Nepali subject and publishing text books in Nepali; it was instrumental in reinstating the status of 'protected class' to the Nepali cultivator-graziers in the tribal belts and blocks of the state in 1996 that had been withdrawn in 1969 by the Government; it ensured the selection of one APSC member from the Assamese-Nepali community; it ensured the grant of a plot of land for the AGS in the heart of Guwahati city where a building has been constructed for its permanet office-cum-boarding; it ensured the representation of the Assamese-Nepali in the Autonomous councils notified in Assam; and last but not the least, the AGS has been recognised as a force to be reckoned with by the political parties too, both national and regional and is consulted in the matter sharing of power and governance in order to please a greater section of the Assamese-Nepali in the state.
The AGS is concerned about substantial representation of the women folk in the organisation and it has already ventured to open a women's cell called the Assam Gorkha Mahila Sammelan34. Likewise it is thinking about opening a branch for the ex-servicemen also.
The AGS is equally concerned about the well-being of the Nepali brethren of the neighbouring states. It played an active role during the days of arson in Manipur, and during the great exodus of the Nepalese from Meghalaya in the 1980s, at the time of harassment and humiliation meted out to the Nepalese of the North-east India at the Assam-Bengal border in the name of detecting foreigners etc.
In the literary field too the AGS has a glorious history of its own which commenced at its Rampur Conference (1968) with the publication of Adhiveshan Visesank, a special issue of the conference and the introduction of the tradition of publishing Smritigrantha, a souvenir since its 16th conference held in Guwahati (1976). The same tradition is being followed by its district branches during their conferences and also by the AGS itself during its annual conventions. But more important is its Bulletin, the periodical mouthpiece published since 1 June, 1969 till 1981 with a total of 45 issues. Since 1983 the publication has been named Sammelan with maximum literary coverage. Bulletin and Sammelan are the great treatises of the Assamese-Nepali in the context of their history since the mid-half of the 20th century, specially highlighting their troubled days.
To conclude, the AGS has in fact its own base among the Nepalese in Assam comprising of both the primary members in their thousands besides those emotionally associated with it almost in every nook and corner of the state. It has worked in coordination with other organisations of the community, with occasional disagreements on some issues; and it has maintained cordial relations with other ethnic groups of Assam and the neighbouring states.
No doubt, the AGS is a reputed organisation of Assam and that is why, research work on it for a doctoral thesis has also been started in the North Bengal University.35 With all these ups and downs which are quite natural for any organisation, the AGS which has already celebrated its 'Silver Jubulee' along with its 20th Conference is looking forward to better days ahead. No doubt it has been treading on the League's heels with occasional minor changes in its path, like adding on its emblem a 'rising sun' over a bicoloured background recently during its silver jubilee year. However, in course of its long journey spanning almost four decades it has forgotten totally the use of the original anthem Uncha rahos uncha rahos, Gorkha jhanda ...., and also the practice of wishing Jay Gorkha but has retained the motto of Sadhain gaurav rakhne chhaun Gorkhako.
Notes and References
1. Dahal Narabahadur : Darjeelingko Matoma Hurkieka Kehi Jatiya Geetharu; Lankajyoti (Souvenir), 34th annual convention of Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1999; ed. Mohan Subedi; Assam; Pp.31,32.
2. Local Branches or Units of the AIGL were started to be formed since 1944 with the first ever such branch at Tezpur, then at Mongaldoi and at Shillong and so on. By 1947 there were about 80 such branches in Assam. For detail see :
(i) Rai Shiva Kumar : Asambasi Nepali Chinhariko Khojima; Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 20th Conference, Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1992; ed. N.B. Dahal et al; Guwahati, Assam; Pp. 9-10.
(ii) Smritigrantha-Prasad Sing Subba (Souvenir); ed. Durga Prasad Upadhyaya et al; Prasad Sing Subba Smritigrantha Prakashan Samiti, Tezpur, Assam, 1987; Pp. 26-28.
(iii) Sharma P.P. (1997) : Astitwako Khojima; Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasha Samiti, Dehradoon : P. 110.
3. (i) File Documents of Tezpur Jilla Gorkha League available with Sri Bishnulal Upadhyaya, former president of Assam Gorkha Sammelan.
4. (i) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : Samsmaran - Gorkha League ra Sammelanlai Pachhi
Pharkera Herda; Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 21st Conference, Assam Gorkha
Sammelan, 1995; Moharicamp, Dhemaji, Assam; p.79.
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur (ed) : Atitko Ainabhitra Vartamanko Chhabi (editorial); Smritigrantha (Souvenir), 22nd Conference, Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1997; Guwahati, Assam; p.99
Note : In both of these articles (i) and (ii), the foundation year of APGL differs ; in (i) 1945 and in (ii) 1946 are mentioned. Such differences are found in many
articles ; and even some writers go upto 1944. For details see :
(iii) Singh Bhai Nahar and Sing Kirpal (1987) : History of All India Gurkha League 1943-49; Nirmal Publishers Distributors, New Delhi.
Note : Here the foundation date of APGL is mentioned as 8 August 1944.
5. (i) Sharma P. P. (1997) : op. cit.; Pp.110-111.
(ii) Bhandari Purusottam (1996) : Freedom Movement and Role of Indian Nepalese 1800-1950; publisher Mrs. Rama Bhandari, Jagiroad, Assam; p. 68.
6. Note : There are many relevent documents and copies of memorenda of AIGL,
APGL, Tezpur Jilla Gorkha League and other branches saved in the 'cover-
file of the League and possessed by Sri Bishnulal Upadhyaya Ex. MLA to
support this statement.
7. (i) Upadhyaya Bishnulal (1984) : Asame Nepaliharu; Publisher: author himself; Behali, Sonitpur, Assam; P.21
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit. P.80
8. (i) Upadhyaya Bishnulal : Assam Gorkha Sammelan ra Nepaliharuko Rajnaitik
Bhumika; Lankajoti (Souvenir), 34th Annual Convention of Assam
Gorkha Sammelan; ed. Mohan Subedi; Lanka, Nagaon, Assam; p.20.
(ii) Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit.; P.80.
9. ibid. ; (i) P. 20 (ii) P. 80
10. Upadhyaya Bishnulal : op. cit.; P. 21
11. Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit. ; P.81
12. ibid.; Pp.81-82
13. Dhakal Padma : Garhpal Adhiveshan; Sammelan (Literary mouth-piece of AGS) 23/
64, July 1995; ed. Lil Bahadur Chhetri et al; Guwahati, Assam; Pp.11-12
14. Upadhyaya Bishnulal (1) : Asam Gorkha Sammelan Vartaman Samayko Sandarbhama; Kunherbari Vithika (Souvenir), 3rd annual conference, AGS Biswanath Jilla Samiti, Bargang, Sonitpur, Assam; P.2.
15. Dhakal Padma : op. cit.; P.11-12
16. Upadhyaya Bishnulal (I) : op. cit.; p.2
17. Dhakal Padma : op. cit.; Pp. 16-17
18. (i) Ibid.; p.17
(ii) Guragain Indra : Assam Gorkha Sammelan Hijo, Aja ra Bholi; Smritigrantha (Souvenir) 21st Conference , Assam Gorkha Sammelan, 1995; Moharicamp, Dhemaji, Assam; Pp. 21-22
Note : (i) Here in Garhpal Session the CEC is shown as follows : President - Sete Rana, Vice presidents - Chhabilal Sharma & Balbahadur Chetri and General Secretary - D.R. Subba.
Such variations are seen in other articles also.
19. Chhetri Lil Bahadur : op. cit.; p. 83
20. Guragain Indra : op. cit. ; Pp. 21-22 (upto 20th Conference)
21. Upadhyaya Bishnulal : op. cit. ; p.18
22. The Resolution No.5 and No. 6 adopted in Rampur Conference on 28 April 1968.
23. The Memorandum of the AGS submitted to Govt. of India, New Delhi on July 24, 1968.
24. Resolutions of the Haflong Conference published in Bulletin (mouth-piece of the
AGS) No. 45, January 1982 as special Issue on the occasion of the AGS's17th Conference
held at Haflong, NC Hills district, Assam; Pp.2-5
25. Resolutions of the Udaypur Conference published in Sammelan (literary journal of
the AGS)No. 51, June 1985 as full issue; Pp. 12-18.
26. Resolutions of the Moharicamp Conference published in Sammelan (literary journal
of the AGS)No. 62, January1995, as special issue of the Conference; Pp. 34-40.
27. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 44, December 1981; p.1
28. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 45, January 1982; p.4
29. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 46, August 1982; p.9
30. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 24; August 1979; Pp. 1-8
30a ibid.
31. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 28; November 1979; p.5
32. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 68 (Full Issue) 1996; Pp. 29-30.
33. Bulletin (mouth-piece of the AGS) No. 15; 1971; p.1, 4, 15
34. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 64 (Full Issue) 1995; p. 44.
35. Sammelan (literary journal of the AGS) No. 57, October; 1993; p.16
Note : At the time of 4th Annual Conference of the AIGL held at Tezpur in April
1947 there were total 6 district branches of AIGL foundeded in Assam. For
reference see :
(ii) Rai Shiva Kumar : op. cit. p.10.
Nepalis in Assam warn Ghising
GNLF BLAMED FOR BEHEADING STATUES FROM WASBIR HUSSAIN
Guwahati, July 14
An estimated three million Nepalis in the north-eastern region have condemned the decapitation of the statues of poet Bhanu Bhakta Acharya in Darjeeling and Kurseong on Friday and are planning an agitation in protest against this “outrageous act.”
Some of the Nepali leaders here directly hold the GNLF, led by Mr Subhas Ghising, responsible for such acts of vandalism and have warned the Gorkha leader to desist from indulging in “shameful and anti-national acts.”
The secretary of the Assam unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Nepali Bhasa Samity, Mr R.P. Sarmah, told The Telegraph that they will burn effigies of Mr Ghising here next month in protest against his “devious designs.”
An agitated Mr Sarmah dashed off a telegram to Mr Ghising on Sunday saying, "Three million Assam Nepalis strongly condemn your shameful and antinational act of decapitating the oldest Bhanu Bhakta statue at Chowrasta.” He accused the Gorkha leader of trying to “divide and weaken” the Nepali community in India by demanding constitutional recognition to the “Gorkhali” language.
Mr Sarmah said, “There is nothing called a Gorkahli language. I challenge Mr Ghising to translate a single sentence from Nepali to Gorkhali and show us the difference. Mr Ghising has written 20 novels in Nepali and now he is demanding recognition to what he calls Gorkhali. He is whipping up such sentiments demand for his own selfish interests.”
N-E Cong resolution sparks off controversy: At a time when the dispute over the nomenclature is leading to a sharp polarisation of Nepalis, a resolution on the issue at the seventh annual conference of the north-east Congress(I) co-ordination committee here last fortnight sparked off a fresh controversy.
The committee, in a report discussed at the conference, sought the immediate inclusion of the “Nepali-Gorkhali” language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The Congress(I) leaders were perhaps aware of the serious implications of the coinage Nepali-Gorkhali and so did not elaborate on the issue except noting that “as everyone is acquainted with the various aspects of this demand, no explanatory note is necessary.”
The resolution evoked sharp criticism from pro-Nepali organisations. In a telegram to the Prime Minister and the Union minister of coal, Mr P.A. Sangma, who is the northeastern Congress co-ordination committee chairman, Mr Sarmah of the Bhasa Samity said only “Nepali” should be included in the Eighth Schedule. He appealed to Congressmen not to be swayed by Mr Ghising’s demands.
The Congress(I), in an apparent bid to keep the GNLF in good humour, has coined the phrase “Nepali-Gorkhali” and is now trying to justify its decision by saying that they are “one and the same language.” Mr Mani Kumar Subba a Congress(I) MLA from Assam, who flagged off the Bhanu Jayanti cultural procession here yesterday, said, “Our main concern is that our language should get its due recognition and we should not fight over the nomenclature. Therefore we have described it as NepaliGorkhali. An agitation over language issue will harm our community.”
All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) has alleged that that there is a clear indication that Nagaland government is encouraging "new settlers" in the Merapani areas in connivance with "CRPF and the district administration."
In a press statement release Thursday, AAGSU said that the development has a cause of concern not only for Assamese people but also for Nagas residing across the border who fear adverse action from Assamese civil society and the state administration.
The AAGSU claimed that its team had "visited the Panjan area of Naojan, Noukhuti area of Chungajan, various areas under Uriamghat, Daldali and Chandanpur area of the Sarupani and Bhelowguri area of Merapani and the upper Merapani area where there are evidences of Naga settlement in Assam's land."
Gorkha students' body further alleged that community halls, churches, schools recognized by the government of Nagaland have been constructed and "Entrance and Welcome gates have been erected with a sizeable population in the Panjan area under Naojan police station." Citing their findings, AAGSU accused the Assam administration of remaining a mute spectator.
AAGSU information and publicity secretary Nanda Kirati Dewan said the student body can provide evidences to chief minister of Assam on "Naga settlement in Assam's land in Panjan, Noukhuti and entire stretch from Merapani to Sarupani.
It is very unfortunate that the head of the state has been downplaying all reports on Naga encroachment put forth by the media, students unions, social democratic organisations and trying to justify government inaction in all cases."
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