Inclusion of 11 Gorkha sub-tribes in ST list under consideration

Kalimpong: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista stated on Sunday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured him that the re-inclusion of 11 left-out Gorkha sub-tribes in the Scheduled Tribe list was “under consideration” by the Centre.

Shah, who was slated to attend an election rally at Gorkha Stadium in Lebong, Darjeeling, was unable to do so as his helicopter could not land due to inclement weather.

In a telephonic conversation with Bista, Shah affirmed that the “BJP is the sole party committed to ensuring peace, progress, and development in the region.”

He assured that “the people of Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars will receive justice under the Constitution of India”.

Bista said Shah may visit the hills before the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat goes to polls on April 26.

As per the BJP’s pledge in its 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 assembly election manifestos, the classification of the tribes is integral to addressing the Gorkha issue by providing a Permanent Political Solution (PPS).

These tribes include Gurung, Mangar, Rai, Sunwar, Mukhia, Jogi, Thami, Yakha, Bahun, Chettri, and Newar.

Addressing the rally, Bista emphasised the strategic significance of the Darjeeling hills, Terai, and Dooars from a national security perspective.

He highlighted the region’s importance as a key tourism destination, the second-largest tea producer in the country, a hub for hydro-development, cinchona, medicinal plants, and a potential hub for cross-border trade and commerce, referring to it as a “golden duck.”

The MP criticized the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for neglecting the region’s potential and instead harming it. He accused the TMC of altering the region’s demographics by aiding the settlement of Rohingyas and illegal infiltrators, leading to a surge in crime against women, rampant goondaism, extortion, erosion of law and order, and widespread corruption.

Bista claimed that development had stagnated in the region for the past 13 years under the TMC’s rule, which he alleged had only plundered the region without providing any benefits.

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