Golay forms committee for Gorkha sub-tribes’ ST push

Siliguri: With the aim of including left-out communities of Sikkim and West Bengal (Gorkhas) in the Scheduled Tribes list, a “Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Scheduled Tribe Demand” has been formed by PS Golay, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, during an interactive meeting that was held on Sunday in Siliguri.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and representatives of 11 sub-tribes from Darjeeling and 12 sub-tribes from Sikkim were present at the meeting. The committee will have 5 representatives from Sikkim and four from Darjeeling. A team has also been formed with 22 members who will create an ethnographic report. A compiled report will be prepared which will be forwarded to the Registrar General of India (RGI).

“Gorkhas should get tribal status. Therefore, we have organised a meeting to discuss among ourselves. Reports on the sub-tribes will be exchanged among us,” said Bista.