Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded Sixth Schedule status for the Darjeeling hills, putting the spotlight on the issue that had been on the back burner for years.

Chowdhury, while speaking in Parliament on Tuesday on statehood and the Sixth Schedule status for Ladakh, also brought focus on the Sixth Schedule issue of Darjeeling.

"In Darjeeling, Bengal, it has been a demand of many years of the Gorkha people of Darjeeling that they too are brought under the Sixth Schedule and (I) would request the government to think about it,” Chowdhury said on Tuesday.

Many in the hills wondered if the Congress jumped the gun on the issue. “In 2007, Bimal Gurung dethroned Subash Ghisingh from the seat of power in Darjeeling because of his opposition to the Sixth Schedule status. Most hill people rallied behind Gurung to oppose Ghisingh’s Sixth Schedule demand and demand Gorkhaland,” said a hill resident.

The Sixth Schedule provides for the administration of tribal areas in certain Northeast states to safeguard the rights of tribals there. Many in the Darjeeling hills are opposed to Sixth Schedule because most are officially non-tribals here. Most hill parties have maintained that the government should first grant tribal status to 11 hill communities, which would make tribals in hills in a majority, and then implement the Sixth Schedule status.

At the moment, only the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) is advocating for Sixth Schedule status.

"Perhaps, the Congress leadership does not have its ear on the ground on this issue,” said a resident.

Recently, GNLF leader Mahendra Chhetri met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, demanding the implementation of the Sixth Schedule. The GNLF, an ally of the BJP, suspended Chhetri for two years for meeting Rahul without seeking permission from the GNLF leadership.

Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards met Rahul and joined him during the start of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra early this month. Edwards, however, has been demanding a constitutional solution to the Sixth Schedule issue.

Binay Tamang, general secretary, West Bengal Pradesh Congress, expressed his gratitude to Chowdhury for raising the Darjeeling issue and tried to drive home the message that the party is sympathetic to the Gorkhas.

“As in the past, in the future as well, the Congress and top leaders will definitely raise their voice for constitutional and political justice of the Gorkhas and the region as a whole for finding out a solution — we are confident,” said Tamang in a written statement.

Raju Bista, the BJP MP from Darjeeling on Wednesday, also raised the issue of “long-standing demand for constitutional autonomy” in the Darjeeling region.

Stressing the region’s strategic importance, Bista said: “Over the past decade, the influx of Rohingyas and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants for political gain has posed a grave threat, resulting in demographic shifts that endangers the indigenous communities such as Gorkhas Adivasis, Rajbangshis, Rabha, Toto, Koche, Meche, Bengalis and Hindi bhasis. Hence, I urged the Government to expedite the implementation of a constitutional solution for our region, safeguarding the people and fulfilling their aspirations."