Editor,
Once again the demand for Gorkhaland state under the Darjeeling Hill District including adjacent areas has resurfaced and gained momentum. There was large scale agitation for quite a long time by the Gorkha National Liberation Front led by Subhash Ghising during the 1980s which culminated in the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 during the reign of the CPI (M). Then the same demand led by Bimal Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led to the formation of Gorkha Territorial Administration. However, the creation of the above institutions has not improved the lives of people living in Hill District. The West Bengal Government continued its step- motherly treatment towards this District. Many of the packages were not implemented as agreed upon in the agreement post the settlements. It was alleged that the leaders who piloted the agitations which led to the formation of DGHC and GTA were better off but the lot of the people living in the district remained stagnant or degenerated further. The dissatisfaction of the people is palpable. It only needed a spark to trigger off the agitation, This came in the form of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement to impose Bengali in schools from classes I to X. This was quickly picked up by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which has now turned into a widespread agitation. In fact the Nepali language which is widely spoken by the people of Darjeeling was recognised in 1961.
The only solution to this protracted problem is to grant statehood to the Darjeeling Hill District including the Dooars etc. The Gorkhas of this part of West Bengal, including other communities living therein rightly deserve to get a separate state for their betterment and to achieve their aspirations. Their demand therefore is highly justified and the Government of West Bengal and the central government ought to yield to the demand.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Via email
GST cruel towards disabled
Editor,
In his letter, “Stop spreading misinformation on GST!” (ST June 20, 2017), Sumit Kar has pointed out that non-manufactured items are not incorporated in the GST. Without going into the nuance of whether sacred thread (which is to be made and prepared from cotton strands) is a manufactured item or not, we can easily see that wooden footwear (khadau) is a manufactured product which has been put in the exempt category of GST. And agarbatti which is certainly another manufactured item has attracted only 5 per cent GST. On the contrary, GST has proposed as much as 12 per cent levy on Braille paper, Braille watches and hearing aids and 18 per cent on Braille typewriters and cars for physically disabled that till now have been completely exempted from all taxes and duties including sales tax, excise and customs.
My letter is intended not to criticize GST as a whole but to point out its cold shoulder attitude towards our disabled brothers and sisters. We must not forget that such aids for disabled as Braille papers/ typewriters, wheelchairs and hearing implants are critical for their survival and therefore must be placed in the exempt category.
To strengthen and to make GST a more effective tool for our progress and to make it more inclusive in nature, the space for suggestions must not be closed. And we need to be more open to such suggestions.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Nothing much about IBDLP
Editor,
Apropos the write-up by HH Mohrmen, “Job Creation through Entrepreneurship Development” (ST June 19, 2017) one cannot agree in toto that the Basin Project is a success. I beg to differ with his views and observations that the project has benefitted the rural areas of West Jaintia Hills in many forms. The impact of the project and the changes it has brought about in helping people develop and adapt to new employment avenues is vague. In most parts of East Khasi and East Jaintia Hills where I have met with people, the project has not helped the community in exploring new employment avenues. Tourism is one sector that still lacks a pro-people policy that should benefit the local community and not outsiders. The convergence that the writer speaks of is a misnomer and even securing a bank loan is a struggle for rural people as the managers of nationalised banks do not encourage lending and cite various rules which exclude people from borrowing. Perhaps a survey would indicate up to what extent the IBDLP has impacted the villages and what changes the project has brought about.
Yours etc…
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong