Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
জাতিসত্তা ও রাজনীতির আলোকে উত্তরবঙ্গ: প্রসঙ্গ গোর্খাল্যান্ড সব্যসাচী পৈলান, গবেষক, যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত সামিম আখতার, গবেষক, আলিগড় মুসলিম বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, আলিগড়, উত্তর প্রদেশ, ভারত সুস্মিতা মন্ডল, গবেষক, যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 15.02.2026 | Accepted: 09.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
North Bengal in the Light of Ethnicity and Politics: The Context of Gorkhaland Sabyasachi Pailan, Research Scholar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Samim Akhtar, Research Scholar, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India Susmita Mondal, Research Scholar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
India's multi-ethnic federal democratic framework, characterized by diverse castes, religions, languages, and ethnic groups, frequently gives rise to tensions rooted in identity assertions and demands for self-determination or autonomy. In recent decades, ethnic identity has emerged as a central issue in Indian politics, with parties increasingly leveraging these sentiments for electoral gains. This dynamic is particularly evident in West Bengal, where the predominantly Bengali population dominates the state's socio-political and economic spheres, marginalizing non-Bengali groups. The Darjeeling hills, home to the Nepali-speaking Gorkha community, exemplify this friction. Since the 1980s, the Gorkhas have agitated for a separate state of Gorkhaland, fearing cultural assimilation and seeking greater autonomy and recognition. The movement, with roots dating back to early 20th-century demands for administrative separation (as early as 1907–1909), intensified under leaders like Subhash Ghisingh and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in the 1980s, leading to violent protests. Subsequent phases saw the formation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in 2007, renewed agitations, and partial concessions such as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (1988) and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in 2011. Despite these arrangements, the core demand for full statehood persists, often reignited during elections and used by various regional parties as a tool for political mobilization rather than genuine resolution. This ongoing Gorkhaland struggle highlights the broader challenges of balancing ethnic aspirations with national integration in India's pluralistic democracy, where identity politics continues to shape regional autonomy demands. | ||
Keywords: Ethnicity, Electoral Politics, Gorkhaland, Statehood, West Bengal |