Union Cabinet gives nod to inclusion of 4 tribes in ST list, skips Gorkhas

Darjeeling: The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha has pulled up the BJP-led Union Government alleging that till this government is at the Centre, none of the demands put up by the Gorkhas will be fulfilled.

The allegation comes in wake of the Union Cabinet's nod to addition of four tribes to the Scheduled Tribe list. Thelist of four does not include any Gorkha communities.

Incidentally on Wednesday the Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Modi approved the addition of four tribes in the ST list. The four include the Hatti tribe of the Trans-Giri area of Sirmour, Himachal Pradesh; Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran hill tribes of Tamil Nadu and Bhinjia tribe of Chhattisgarh.

"Now we know that inclusion to the ST list is a political decision as the cabinet is approving it. Then why has the BJP not lived up to their assurance of including 11 Gorkha communities in the ST list. Their false assurances are just to win elections. It's all an eyewash. The BJP will not concede to a single demand of the Gorkhas. Is it because they cannot reap electoral

benefits in terms of number of MPs and MLAs, " retorted Amar Lama, General Secretary, BGPM.

Since 2011 the BJP in the party election manifesto has time and again assured to include 11 Gorkha communities in the ST list but till date it has not seen the light of day.

Arjun Munda, the Minister of Tribal Affairs, Government of India on June 3rd had made it clear that the proposal sent by the West Bengal government for the inclusion of 11 Gorkhas sub communities in the ST list has not been supported by the Registrar General of India (RGI.) The concurrence of RGI is mandatory for inclusion in ST list.

"We will move a resolution in the GTA Sabha on September 19 for the inclusion of the 11 communities and send it to the Centre and State again.

The BJP MP and MLAs from the Hills should prove their sincerity and pressurize the Union Government" stated Lama.