Modi government will not resolve Gorkha issues, claims Congress leader Tamang

Darjeeling: As the Gorkha issues yet again failed to get a berth in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, slated to commence on July 21, Congress leader Munish Tamang on Wednesday claimed that none of the Gorkha issues would be resolved by the Modi government.

Among the eight new Bills planned to be tabled by the government in the Monsoon Session are the Geoheritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill, the National Sports Governance Bill, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill and the National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill. “For the past 15 years, the BJP-led government has not done anything for the Gorkhas except give empty assurances during elections. Why should they do anything this time?” said Tamang, who had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Darjeeling on a Congress ticket.

Since the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP, backed by regional parties, have been winning from the Darjeeling constituency riding piggyback on the ‘Gorkhaland’ demand. In the past elections, they have been assuring of a ‘permanent political solution’ to the Gorkha impasse as well as inclusion of 12 Gorkha sub-communities in the Scheduled Tribe list. However, both issues are yet to see the light of day.

Tamang feels that the BJP will “keep on dangling the carrot...”, with the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election round the corner.

When questioned on the Gorkha issue missing the berth yet again in the list of Bills to be tabled in Parliament this Monsoon Session and his views on a Private Bill, Tamang stated: “Why do we need a private member Bill? It is nothing but a distraction. The BJP has been winning elections with these assurances and it is their primary responsibility. We need a Government Bill,” stated Tamang. He, however, assured that Congress would not sit idle. “After I return to Delhi, I will apprise the Congress leaders of this situation. We will definitely explore all the avenues and do the needful,” added Tamang. The Congress leader is on a ‘Jan Sampark Abhiyan,’ touring the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, meeting people and finding out their problems.

Even during the last Lok Sabha election, Congress pivoted its campaign in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills on the benefits that the region had received from the Congress government. “Both the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and later the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration were constituted by the Congress government,” stated Tamang.