GJM volte-face on SC status

DARJEELING: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to drop its demand for the conversion of Nepali Scheduled Castes (SC) into Scheduled Tribes (ST). This comes amid growing resentment among SCs against the proposed change of their status.

Earlier, on March 15, the GJM had asked the Centre to recognise the entire Nepali community, including SCs, as STs before setting up an interim administrative set-up in lieu of a full-fledged state.

"We're going to revise our draft proposal in response to the demand of SCs. We'll drop the demand for their recognition as STs," GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said in Darjeeling on Monday. The party sent the proposal, which seeks autonomy for Nepali-dominated areas of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, to the Centre a few days before the March 18 tripartite talks in New Delhi. The SCs fear loss of their privileges if they are recognised as STs.

"We'd asked for the inclusion of all Gorkha communities in the ST list to have uniform facilities. The draft that we've sent to the Centre should not be considered final as more issues are likely to be included and negotiated with the government," Giri said.

On the allegations, that the GJM is trying to impose the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in the Darjeeling hills, Giri said: "Places like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have a huge number of tribals, but they are not under the Sixth Schedule. Our opponents should not confuse people because the the Centre has already dumped the Sixth Schedule bill."

From The Times of India