The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangha, a national federation and socio-cultural organisation, on Sunday said Gorkhas in Assam should be recognised as an indigenous community through a gazette notification so that they can enjoy their constitutional rights.

“Gorkhas are an indigenous community. Dispur should declare them so through a gazette notification as soon as possible so that during implementation of the Assam Accord’s Clause 6, their constitutional rights remain protected,” said BGP president Sukhman Moktan at Gandhi Bhawan, Silchar, on the sidelines of the BGP Northeast zonal organisational camp.

Recently, a joint representation was made by the state’s Gorkha civil society organisations to a committee, formed by the Union ministry of home affairs, seeking Gorkhas to be categorised as an indigenous community.

Moktan urged Gorkhas across the country to mention Gorkha as the community and Nepali/Gorkha Bhasa, as per the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, as language during the National Population Register and National Census 2021.

The organisation’s zonal camp is being hosted by its Barak Valley Region unit. Seven state committees presented their activity reports and discussed their issues and concerns during the meeting.