The ethnology and ethnicity of the Darjeeling hill peoples as compared to the rest of Bengal are totally in contrast to produce the right gel. This is not a discriminatory claim to find out who is good, better or best, but simply a statement to identify the complete difference between the hill communities and the plains people as a matter of comparison. This divide is further stretching as a result of the large scale migration of non-Indian Bengalis from across the borders. While attempting to compare the past population index since the beginning of Darjeeling district history, the increase of population factor becomes a clear indicator to justify the marginalisation of Darjeeling hill peoples ethnicity space being occupied by completely alien groups migrating to all directions, from the country of origin with the soul purpose of surviving, despite adverse conditions in the new country. The immediate picture of the story is, that Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district which space belonged to the Darjeeling hill peoples, having similar ethnicity and affiliation with the people of Sikkim, from which country Darjeeling and Siliguri was detached by the British, which space have been unfairly and clandestinely occupied by alien citizens promoted by ethnically related local citizens, is a slur to the entire nation. The plains people instead of accepting the guilt complex and coming out clean, is vandalizing the Darjeeling hill peoples as illegal immigrants, is only to cast its own shadow on oneself. Bengal must ask the question, if George Charnock established the sleepy fishing village of Kalighat in 1686 to the present stage, it was George Campbell who established Darjeeling in 1839, (with the population of 100 souls increasing to about 10,000 in 1849 chiefly by migrations from Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan, in all of which slavery was prevalent) along with the aboriginal Lepcha Bhotias and the sturdy Nepalese inducted from Nepal for labour, all manual work related to the development and economic progress of the entire district inclusive of clear felling the forest in the malaria infected marshlands of Siliguri. This is the sweat and bloody contribution by the Nepali ancestors of the Darjeeling hill peoples, more than a century and half back. This is the proof of the ethnical background of the Darjeeling hill people. It is the pointing of fingers at the Darjeeling hill people, which is upsetting as well as demeaning. In order to avoid such future distaste that only obtaining a state will cease the undue comments once and for all.Only then the ethnicity and regional identity of the hill peoples will be conserved. To realize this point is the immediate aim of the present generation and which had been the same for the past generations of hill peoples.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:48:48 +0000
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