"Gorkhas are rightful Indian citizens": Meghalaya CM urges Amit Shah to grant Gorkhaland demand

Shillong: In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Meghalaya chief minister and National People's Party (NPP) president Conrad K Sangma contended that there should be a separate state for the Gorkha community (Gorkhaland) and reminding the Centre that "the Gorkhas too are rightful Indian citizens who deserve to have their own identity and Bas Bhoomi (homeland)".

"Sir, as stated, the Gorkhas have contributed immensely to the fabric of Indian society and as with other citizens of India, the Gorkhas too are rightful Indian citizens who deserve to have their own identity and Bas Bhoomi," Sangma said in the letter, addressing Shah.

Sangma also highlighted the contributions of Gorkha freedom fighter Durga Malla, members of constituent assembly Damber Singh and Ari Bahadur Gurung and Captain Ram Singh Thakuria. Sangma has requested the Centre to "offer an honourable and lasting political solution" to the Gorkhas.

Interestingly, Sangma's letter was made public when the monsoon session of Parliament was in progress and there were growing demands by NDA allies in Darjeeling for finding a "permanent political solution".

It is to be noted that Sangma is the second chief minister to lend support to the Gorkhaland demand. When Pawan Chamling was the Sikkim chief minister, he got a resolution adopted in the Assembly on March 29, 2011, where he raised the same issue.

Although the letter to Shah was dashed off to Shah on September 4, it was only made public on Tuesday by the, which is a member of the NDA's Northeast coalition Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA). The NPP is the first political party in the Northeast to be recognised as a national party by the Election Commission of India, and it has now opened a unit in Bengal.

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