Guwahati: The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) will approach the Centre to seek recognition of eligible members of the Gorkha community in Assam as Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, following a meeting with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
A BGP delegation, led by its Assam State Committee chief advisor and former president Amar Adhikari, met the Chief Minister at Lokseva Bhawan on Thursday to discuss the community’s demand for recognition under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
The delegation also included BGP national president Nityananda Upadhyay and national general secretary (administration) Nanda Kirati Dewan.
According to Dewan, the Chief Minister said the state government had taken the necessary steps within its jurisdiction after receiving the organisation’s memorandum last year. However, the matter now rests with the Centre, particularly regarding the appropriate nomenclature and recognition of Gorkhas as OTFDs or forest-dependent communities.
The Chief Minister advised the organisation to pursue the matter with the Union government, Dewan said.
He said the community’s demand was based on its historical association with forests in Assam, adding that Gorkhas had traditionally been involved in grazing and cultivation and were recognised as a Special Protected Class under Chapter X of the Assam Land and Revenue Regulations, 1886.
Dewan said descendants of these communities continue to live in reserve forests and forest villages and depend on forest resources for their livelihoods. The organisation is seeking consideration of eligible residents for Forest Rights Certificates under the 2006 Act.
Following the meeting, the BGP said it would approach Darjeeling MP Raju Bista to raise the issue with the concerned Union ministry and seek an appropriate Office Memorandum.
In a separate development, the delegation handed over a cheque of ₹2,34,567 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) for flood relief and rehabilitation of affected families in the Bihubar area of Sivasagar district.
The contribution was made on behalf of the Gorkha community in Assam.
The delegation also presented the Chief Minister with traditional Gorkha ceremonial items and a special Silver Jubilee issue of Raithaney, the organisation’s official publication.
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