Gorkha Body Demands Exemption of Darjeeling from CAB

Darjeeling, December 12, 2019:

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BSP), in influential body of Gorkhas, has demanded that Darjeeling must be excluded from the purview of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Writing to Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, the BSP National Working President Munish Tamang stated, "the hills, terai, and dooars, have similar conditions to those areas kept out of the purview of CAB. Our areas have also witnessed large demographic changes that are well documented. Geographically, too, we are vulnerable to large scale influx from Bangladesh. Aready, we are culturally and linguistically marginalized.

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The BSP leader further stated that Darjeeling too, like most areas governed by the 6th Schedule today, was earlier a partially excluded area which meant that the area was exluded from the application of certain Acts of legislation.

Tamang further stated, "Given such a situation and our area's historical and cultural affinity to the areas exempted from CAB, I would request you to immediately seek similar measures as havce been made available to 6th Schedule and ILP areas such that the provisions of CAB will not be extended to our areas. This will ensure that the cultural and linguistic identity of the hills, terrea, and dooars is protected and the people of this area feel safe."

It may be mentioned here that the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, has sparked massive protests across the Northeast, and especially in Assam. A curfew has been imposed in Guwahati city, and mobile internet has been suspended in as many as 10 districts across the State.

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