Calling 'Gorkhas' - 'Non Indian', community's program rejected in AIWC event. Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh decides to take up the matter legally.

https://youtu.be/EZSyIz60sw0

*Calling 'Gorkhas' - 'Non Indian', community's program rejected in AIWC event*

Gorkhas are migrants, they cannot be Indian so cannot perform at 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav' program which is an Indian national program says AIWC event incharge. Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh decides to take up the matter legally.

Guwahati June 15: Indian  Gorkhas across the nation are outraged after  All India Women Conference (AIWC) executive member  Chandra Prabha Pandey chides Gorkha Artists, bans performance in Nepali langauge for 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav' (AKAM) labeling  "Nepali / Gorkha Bhasa " a non-Indian language

On June 9,  All India Women Conference, executive member Head of Events Ms Chandra Prabha Pandey sent out a note asking for contributions from regional chapters of AIWC for the proposed "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations. The contributions were supposed to be patriotic songs and dances performed in regional languages. When artists from Kalimpong District sent in their contribution, they were rudely told off my Ms Chandra Prabha Pande, who said "we cannot showcase performances in non-Indian languages". Shocked the artists reached out to AIWC Kalimpong Secretary Ms Aruna Pradhan, who tried to reason with Ms Chandra Prabha Pandey. But instead Ms.Pande further insisted "they cannot send National Anthem sung in Nepali language, as it is not a language from India". Despite the member from Kalimpong humbly trying to tell Ms. Chandra Prabha Pande that Nepali is very much an Indian language also known as Gorkha Bhasa. Ms Pandey is heard rudely brushing her off and demeaning the Nepali / Gorkha Bhasa being a non-Indian language. Debating with Aruna Pradhan over the telecon, she said people of neighbouring countries who come and settle here in India are migrants not necessarily citizen of our country while the former tried to explain Indianess of Gorkhas.

Ramesh Bastola, General Secretary of youth wing of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) said, 'It is shocking to realise that an esteemed reputed organization like AIWC would have members, who seem to be absolutely ignorant about the fact that Nepali language / Gorkha Bhasa is one of the national languages of India spoken by the 10.5 millions Indian Gorkha community, duly recognised as such under the VIIIth Schedule of the Indian  Constitution."

'In an emergent virtual core committee meeting held today, Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh (BhaGoYuP) has decided to take up the issue legally if she doesn't apologise in public domain through social media within 24 hours of publication of our statement and in person in next AIWC meeting. Our team will parrallely file online petition too so that this incident doesn't happen again. We had taken up matter of 'Pataal Lok' Amazon Prime Video webseries where Nepali language speaking Gorkha character was not only shown in poor light but also derogatory remarks were used indicating the entire North Eastern community. Later Ministry of Information and Boardcasting, Government of India issued a guideline based on our collective democratic effort for censoring contents on OTT platforms ' said Bastola , general secretary, BhaGoYuP from Kangokopi Manipur over phone.

Sanjana Newar, member of Legal team of BhaGoYuP and an advocate from Tura, Garo Hills said, 'I am absolutely outraged and shocked at the lack of knowledge and obvious display of ignorance on the part of an All India Women's Conference (AIWC) member Chandra Prabha Pande, who rejected performance in Nepali language in her organization's 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations citing that 'Nepali is a non-Indian language. Yuva Parisangh has decided to file a legal suit in this matter and I have chosen to represent the case.'

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista who represents Gorkha populated Darjeeling constituency in Lok Sabha expressed shock and told this correspondent, " By claiming that Nepali is not an Indian language, and not allowing perfomance in Nepali language, that too on the pious occassion of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations, AIWC has shown deliberate racism against the Gorkha community of our nation.' 

'Perhaps AIWC members are unaware that our Gorkha ancestors have played a vital role in ensuring India's Independence, and I would suggest AIWC to read about the contributions of Gorkha braves like Saheed Durga Malla of INA, Saheed Ms. Helen Lecha, Sh. Dal Bahadur Giri, Capt Ram Singh Thakuri of INA, Jangbir Sapkota, Subedar Niranjan Chettri and thousands of other Gorkha brave hearts who have laid down their lives for our nation's independence and keeping her safe from the enemies of our nation post-independence.' asserted MP Raju Bista who sent a letter to the President of AIWC seeking an apology removal of the person from her position and office immediately.

Aruna Pradhan, Honorary Secretary of Kalimpong branch of AIWC said that the concerned person Chandra Prabha Pandey should  issue an unconditional apology to the Indian Gorkha community forthwith since it doesn't reflect the views of the organisation. She informed that the said event stands cancelled after the matter reached office bearers of AIWC. Pradhan corroborated the facts and said that she had requested Ms Pandey  to issue an apology in public domain within June 14 to which she didn't respond denied. 'Not agreeing to my request for apology,  she blocked me from in WhatsApp and Social Media and than i brought the matter in public domain. I am glad to learn that Bharatiya Gorkha Yuva Parisangh is taking up the matter  legally and shall file an online petition also so that no such instances occur again.' asserted Aruna Pradhan who introduced herself as housewife and member of AIWC and doesn't want to blame her organisation AIWC for views and actions of an individual.

Many people have a misconception about the Gorkhas in India - that they are foreigners and have migrated from Nepal. There could not be a greater mistake than this. The Gorkhas are in fact the aborigines of India and they can trace their history back to ancient times. The Gorkha community is the product of Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid assimilation from ages past. As a linguistic group they can trace their origin back to Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman beginnings. In fact the Gorkhas consist of both Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid racial groups. Gorkhas history in India dates back to not less than 1000 years in Assam and India in civilization and documentation since prehistoric mythological era and speak Nepali language which is also known as Gorkha Bhasa and is a scheduled language in viii schedule of Indian constitution on 20th August 1992.  A Development Agency Manager Namrata Sharma from Bihar who recently filed online petition in Indigo Airlines & Specially abled child case  informed this correspondent that AIWC too should issue a statement in this regard and clarify organisation's stand on this matter and if  Ms. Pande denies to apologize in public domain than she should be removed from the prestigious organisation with a pressnote. Such action will definitely act as deterrent for future so that such incidents never occur again. Gorkhas have been on recieving end on many occasions mostly over identity or racial issues and it's high time we set deterrent examples.

Sanjay Mall, President n Editor , Gorkha International also raised his concern towards AIWC incharge showning deliberate racism against the Gorkha community of our nation.