Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha president Anit Thapa said on Friday that the BGPM would hold demonstrations across the Darjeeling hills from Monday if the Centre failed to get a bill passed in Parliament to grant Scheduled Tribe status to 11 Gorkha communities.

Parliament is currently sitting for an interim budget session. An interim budget is presented by the outgoing government ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and basically provides authority to the government to spend a certain amount of money till the new government is formed.

The full budget will be presented after the new government takes charge.

“I have come to know that the present session will end tomorrow (Saturday). The 11 communities had been promised tribal status (by the BJP) and we will wait till tomorrow. However, if this demand is not fulfilled, we will hit the streets from February 12,” said Thapa.

The BJP had promised tribal status to 11 hill communities and a “permanent political solution” or PPS for the region in its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto. These demands have not yet been met.

“I have been forced to raise this issue now. I have been working with the TMC-led state government. The state government has recommended the tribal status to the 11 communities. Such a status will help our people but the Centre is not taking the issue seriously,” said Thapa.

Observers believe Thapa has found out a major issue just before the Lok Sabha elections. “Thapa seems to be in a mood to corner the BJP before the elections,” said an observer.

The BGPM chief said party supporters would hold demonstrations before the offices of district magistrates and subdivisional officers. “We will also hold massive rallies to protest the BJP’s indifference,” said Thapa.

The BGPM, which has already selected retired WBCS officer Gopal Lama as the candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, seems
ready to make the failed promises a major plank in the campaign.

The tribal population in the hills stands at around 32 per cent. “The 11 communities largely cover the remaining population in the hills. The non-fulfilment of the promise by the BJP will definitely ring in the minds of the non-tribal hill population,” said an observer. “Thapa is all geared up to exploit this situation.”

Another observer said while a bill couldn’t be passed if the current session ended on Saturday, the Centre could promulgate an ordinance.

“Even though the chances seem less, the government can still come up with an ordinance to grant tribal status,” said the observer.

Ordinances are laws that are promulgated by the President of India on the recommendation of the Union cabinet and will have the same effect as an Act. The ordinances can be issued when the Parliament is not in session and are valid for six months.