On August 1, 2023, news surfaced concerning the passing of Prem Nath Upadhya, a 69-year-old from the Gorkha, also called Gorkhali, community of Mizoram, specifically from Ainawn Veng in Aizawl. The report, initially disseminated through a local news outlet, caught people’s attention. While Upadhya’s demise was attributed to a stroke, it was the subsequent burial and funeral proceedings that truly captured people’s attention.
In Mizoram, it is customary that any death in a locality is announced via a local information microphone by the Young Mizo Association, the state’s apex NGO. The YMA also precedes to conduct the funeral and burial rituals. However, Upadhya’s death was not announced via his locality’s microphone. The Presbyterian church under the banner of Masiha Sangati, a Hindi worship wing of the Presbyterian church, conducted his funeral.
EastMojo spoke to Lalthantlanga Ralte, the President of Ainawn Veng YMA, regarding the burial and funeral process. Explaining why the church had to do it, he said, “We have a system in place. In our locality, we do not collect chhiatni funds from non-Mizos or from the Kohhran Thianghlim denomination.”
‘Chhiatni’ fund refers to an annual fee collected by the YMA for expenses incurred in the locality’s various expenses related to funerals, including coffin material.
He went on to say that those not included in the Chhiatni fund collection can still use resources such as coffins and urns to make tea for guests before, during and after the funeral. However, they have to pay a small fee.
A 2021 census carried out by the Mizoram government details the number of Gorkhas living in Mizoram as accepted in the official records. “The Government of Mizoram has decided to accept the figure of 7,686 (seven thousand six hundred and eighty-six) as the number of Gorkhas who have been residing in Mizoram prior to 26.01.1950 and their direct descendants as per the report of Census of Mizoram Gorkhas, 2021,” it states.
Mizoram’s Gorkha community has lived within the state’s border even before Mizoram became a state as we know it. However, they do not enjoy equal rights as the state’s citizens. One of the major factors repeatedly demanded by the Gorkha community is their inclusion in the Other Backwards Community category to seek jobs, a demand rejected by the Mizoram government.
Reema, 32, has been working as a receptionist at an office for almost five years. She wants to apply for jobs in the government institutions and offices like her other schoolmates but she has no hope of ever qualifying for one.
“My forefathers lived in Thenzawl and then we moved to Aizawl. They used to have crops and farms to make a living. Even today, I have well over a hundred relatives here in Aizawl. We never face any sort of racism but we cannot qualify for jobs, that is our main problem.”
While both Mizo and the Gorkha communities in Mizoram have received the same standard of education, the former gets the benefit of inclusion on a quota basis while the latter has to compete against the rest of the country.
The community has taken the issue up in court, however, it has been a long wait. In February 2023, the High Court issued a statement saying if the Mizoram government does not agree with the recommendation to grant OBS status to the Gorkhas, it must disclose its reasons for the same.
An official from the Mizoram Gorkha Youth Association spoke to EastMojo on the condition of anonymity. “It has been a long wait. The court has asked for a response from the Mizoram government which is pending,” he said.
“We get along very well in all aspects with the Mizo community but we feel a slight sense of discrimination regarding our request. We only seek for OBC quota because the people of the state cannot access it anyway, it is only people from other parts of the country who can qualify for OBC posts in Mizoram. It’s easy to question if this is fair to us?”
The same response was shared with EastMojo when we contacted other youth-seeking jobs. “Even when we try our best, it is very hard for us to get a seat. It is not just attempting exams, even the registration fees are always high for the general category and that makes it more difficult for us. My sister has been attempting exams over and over again. If we were in the OBC quota she would have qualified a long time ago,” said a 30-year-old businessman from the community.
The association has taken up the matter on various occasions with leading NGOs in the state; however, it has gained little traction.
The Gorkha community in Mizoram traces their ancestry to the 1850s.
“When our forefathers retired from the army, starting from the 1850s, they started setting their roots in these lands. There were various localities largely occupied by our communities. However, the names of these localities were changed with time. Our grandfathers even joined the underground movement with the Mizo National Front and some were even arrested. We don’t have any home but Mizoram,” he said.
Rahul Lohar is a third-generation Gorkha in Mizoram, he was born and brought up in the state and has been subject to racism due to his skin colour.
“I have faced racism a lot of times. I have been subjected to racism but not to a degree that I have been physically harmed. Although I have half Mizo and half Gorkhali in me, my colour states otherwise. Not only me: a lot of Gorkhas, Bengalis, Assamese, even Manipuris might face it right now. So yeah, racism is everywhere. It doesn’t go to the extent of physical harm and violence because racism stems from wanting to protect your own people,” he said.
Research conducted by Mizoram University professors and scholars found that the Gorkha community in Mizoram experience racism in their everyday life as well as in public spaces. “They feel excluded by local Mizos. The discrimination is collective rather than individual. The Gorkhalis coexist and survive within the racist social spaces. But the Gorkhalis space is secluded and isolated in many ways. The data reveals that Gorkhalis space is limited in Aizawl city. They want to live closely with their fellow Gorkhalis and they feel safe and comfortable in this arrangement. The Gorkhalis’ presence in the social space is also very limited. Regarding media space, the presence of Gorkhalis is absolutely nil in the mainstream media,” said the research findings.
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Lohar, one of the researchers involved in the study, shared how he believes the government has to step up in providing more opportunities in terms of representation. “I think the state government could give us more opportunities regarding representation in the state government and educational scholarships. Seats in the government could help the state in general: policy making, administrative offices where we as Gorkhas could feel more included. The only way we as Gorkhas can feel that we are Mizos too is by letting us serve the state and its people. I think you can see we do not have any influential Gorkha politicians in any of the major political parties. So by that definition, we can also see that we are not being treated as equals.”
These challenges, however, have not deterred Lohar from feeling a sense of belonging to the state or wanting to serve the people. “I do feel a sense of belonging to the state. I always have. I was born there and I plan to die there. And if God permits, I would love to serve my people: both Mizos and Gorkhas. I don’t know if I can generalise this, but my friends, the ones I call brothers and sisters, show me the best side of the Mizos and make me feel like I am one of them. I think if people genuinely took time to get to know each other, then there would be no need for borders and demarcations and even ethnicity.”
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