Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Explained

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
Coa Pic:Gorkhaland Territorial Administration seal.png
Coa Res:150px
Coa Alt:Logo of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
Coa Caption:Seal of the GTA
House Type:Autonomous Administrative Division
Leader1 Type:Chief executive
Leader1:Anit Thapa
Election1:2022
Leader2 Type:Deputy chief executive
Leader2:Sanchabir Subba
Election2:2022
Leader3 Type:Chairman
Leader3:Anjul Chauhan
Election3:2022
Leader4:Rajesh Chauhan
Leader4 Type:Deputy chairman
Party4:BGPM
Election4:2022
Term Limits:5 years
Footnotes:
  • Area: 3,303.98 km²
  • Population : 878,002
  • Density : 270/km²
Logo Pic:Gorkhaland in West Bengal (India).svg
Structure1:File: GTAApril2024.svg
Structure1 Res:300px
Political Groups1:Government (36)

Opposition (9)

Other (5)

Meeting Place:Darjeeling, West Bengal
Website:gtadarjeeling.wb.gov.in
Voting System1:First-past-the-post voting
Last Election1:2022
Next Election1:2027
Seats:50

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is a semi-autonomous council for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal state in India. The GTA was formed in 2012 to replace the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which was formed in 1988 and administered the Darjeeling hills for 23 years.[1] [2]

GTA presently consists of three hill subdivisions Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, some areas of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district and the whole of Kalimpong district under its authority.[3]

History

See main article: Gorkhaland movement. Gorkhaland is the name of the proposed state in India that the Nepali-speaking Indian Gorkha ethnic group in the district of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Dooars in northern region of West Bengal have expressed a desire to create. A demand for a separate administrative unit in Darjeeling has existed since 1909, when the Hillmen's Association of Darjeeling submitted a memorandum to Minto-Morley Reforms demanding a separate administrative setup. The term Gorkhaland was coined by Subhash Ghisingh, leader of Gorkha National Liberation Front, who led a violent agitation for its formation in the 1980s.[4] This movement culminated with the formation of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in 1988. The DGHC did not fulfill its goal of forming a new state, which led to the downfall of Subhash Ghisingh[5] and the rise of another party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) headed by Bimal Gurung in 2007, which launched a second agitation for a Gorkhaland state.[6]

Formation of GTA

After three years of agitation for a state of Gorkhaland led by GJM, the GJM reached an agreement with the state government to form a semi-autonomous body to administer the Darjeeling hills.[7] A bill for the creation of GTA was passed in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on 2 September 2011.[8] The GTA aimed to have administrative, executive and financial powers but no legislative powers. A 10-member joint verification committee headed by a retired High Court judge examined the demand to bring the Gorkha-inhabited pockets of the Dooars and the Terai under the GTA.[9]

Memorandum of Agreement

The Memorandum of Agreement[10] for GTA was signed on 18 July 2011 at Pintail Village near Siliguri in the presence of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the then Darjeeling Lok Sabha MP Jaswant Singh and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders.[11] The agreement was signed by West Bengal Home Secretary G.D. Gautama, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary K.K. Pathak and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri.[12]

Demand for GATA

On 29 October 2011, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), Dooars Unit signed an 18-point agreement at Mongpoo, after which these organizations jointly proposed a new administrative body called the Gorkhaland and Adivasi Territorial Administration (GATA) in place of the GTA.[13] The ABAVP decided to agree to incorporate 196 mouzas of the Dooars and 199 mouzas of the Terai region into the proposed GATA.[14]

President's assent and high-power committee report

The President of India Pratibha Patil gave her assent to the GTA Bill of West Bengal on 7 March 2012.[15] The West Bengal government issued a gazette notification for the GTA Act on 14 March 2012, signalling preparations for elections for the GTA.[16] In a meeting held on 24 March 2012 between GJM leaders and the West Bengal government, it was decided that the election to the GTA would be held in the end of June or in July 2012.[17] The Justice Sen Committee would be requested to submit its report on the inclusion of additional areas of Terai and Dooars in the GTA by early June 2012.[18] The WB government released a list of 45 constituencies of the GTA on 26 May 2012 to which elections are to be held in July 2012.[19] The high-powered committee headed by retired judge Shyamal Kumar Sen that was set up by the West Bengal government recommended inclusion of just five mouzas under the proposed GTA although the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had demanded 398 mouzas from the Dooars and Terai regions.[20] The West Bengal government announced that it would set up a three-member "Fact Verification Committee" to go into the recommendations of Justice Sen Committee after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha rejected its report.[21] The Calcutta High Court admitted on 19 June 2012 the case moved by Gorkha National Liberation Front leader Subhash Ghisingh challenging the legality of the GTA. Justice Dipankar Dutta told the three signatories to the GTA agreement – the central government, the state government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha – to file affidavits stating their stand on Ghisingh's contention.[22]

Elections

GTA election 2012

The West Bengal government announced that the election for the GTA would be held on 29 July 2012.[23] The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha announced that it would contest the GTA polls, which it had earlier threatened to boycott over the Justice Sen-headed committee recommendations on territorial inclusion of the Dooars and Terai that it had rejected.[24] After a period of silence, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha announced the names of its GTA election nominees.[25] [26] Parties that formed the Gorkhaland Task Force (CPRM, ABGL, GNLF(C), Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and others) decided not contest the GTA elections.[27] Both CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress fielded candidates in the election.[28] The GNLF decided to boycott the elections and its chairman filed a case in the Kolkata High Court challenging the GTA.[29] The CPI(M) withdrew the nominations of all its 13 candidates from the GTA elections, alleging threats and intimidation by the GJM[30] and the GJM received 28 seats of the GTA uncontested.[31] In the elections of the remaining 17 seats of the GTA held on 29 July 2012, GJM candidates won from all the constituencies.[32] Sanchabir Subba, the rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha candidate from Gitdabling-Nimbong, narrowly lost to the party's official contestant Kalyan Dewan by 677 votes.[33] The newly elected members of the GTA were sworn in on 4 August 2012 at Darjeeling in the presence of home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee.[34]

[35] |-||Political Party|Seats Contested|Seats Won|Net Change in Seats|-| ||45||45||-|First election|-| ||17||0||-|First election|-|}

2017 agitation and GTA under appointed administrators

In 2017, there was another agitation for Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills.[36] The GTA councillors belonging to GJM resigned and burnt copies of the GTA memorandum of agreement and the GTA Act in June 2017, saying that the GTA had failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people.[37] On 20 September 2017, the West Bengal government reconstituted the GTA and appointed rebel GJM leader Binoy Tamang as its chairperson.[38] Before the 2019 Darjeeling assembly bye-election, Binoy Tamang stepped down as GTA chairman to contest the assembly bye-election. Anit Thapa was appointed the new GTA chairman.[39] Before the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, the West Bengal government dissolved the Anit Thapa-led GTA Board of Administrators and handed over the administration of GTA to the GTA principal secretary.[40]

GTA election 2022

See main article: 2022 Gorkhaland Territorial Administration election. After running the GTA with government-appointed administrators for 5 years (2017–2022), the West Bengal government announced that the election for the second GTA Sabha would be held on 26 June 2022.[41] A total of 277 candidates, including 45 from Hamro Party, 36 from Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, 12 from CPIM, 10 from Trinamool Congress, 5 from Congress and 169 independents, contested the GTA election.[42] All elected members of the GTA Sabha took oath on 12 July 2022 in Darjeeling in a function that was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.[43] On 14 July 2022, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath of office to Anit Thapa as the Chief Executive of GTA.[44] The five members of the GTA Sabha nominated by the West Bengal government took oath on 25 August 2022.[45] Two Hamro Party councillors of the GTA joined Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha on 5 November 2022.[46] Binoy Tamang, who had won the GTA election on a TMC ticket but had left that party afterwards, joined Congress on 26 November 2023.[47] He was expelled from Congress on 23 April 2024.[48]

|-||Political Party|Seats Contested|Seats Won|Net Change in Seats|-| | 45| 8| First election|-|-|-| | 36| 27| First election|-|-|-| | 10| 5| +5|-|-|-| | 12| 0| First election|-|-|-| | 5| 0| First election|-|-|-| (169 contestants)| 45| 5| +5|-|-|}

Regional political parties of Gorkhaland

Social organisations supporting Gorkhaland

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Agreement signed. Outlook. 18 July 2011. 16 March 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120603154514/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=728097. 3 June 2012.
  2. News: Pact signed for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The Hindu. 18 July 2011. 16 March 2012. Chennai, India. Ananya. Dutta.
  3. Web site: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration . gtadmin.org . 14 August 2020 . 3 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200803065422/http://gtadmin.org/ . dead .
  4. Web site: Interview with Subhash Ghisingh. Darjeeling Times. 11 January 2008. 16 March 2012. 12 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120312041229/http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/news/Interviews/Interview-with-subash-ghisingh.html. dead.
  5. News: Subhas Ghising resigns. The Hindu. 11 March 2008. 16 March 2012. Chennai, India.
  6. Web site: GJM leader Bimal Gurung. The Hindu. 3 June 2010. 16 March 2012.
  7. Web site: Darjeeling issue solved: Mamata. https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224934/http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/article432036.ece. dead. 12 May 2014. Express Buzz. 8 June 2011. 16 March 2012.
  8. News: GTA Bill passed with 54 amendments. https://web.archive.org/web/20121106070457/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-03/kolkata/30110031_1_territorial-administration-bill-harka-bahadur-chhetri-gjm. dead. 6 November 2012. 3 September 2011. The Times of India. 16 March 2012.
  9. News: Ex-judge to head hill committee. https://web.archive.org/web/20120505034659/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110730/jsp/frontpage/story_14309540.jsp. dead. 5 May 2012. The Telegraph. 30 July 2011. 16 March 2012. Calcutta, India.
  10. Web site: Full text of GTA MoA. Darjeeling Times. 15 July 2011. 16 March 2012.
  11. News: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). https://web.archive.org/web/20160305003752/http://www.indiangorkhas.in/2011/07/gorkhaland-territorial-administration.html. dead. 5 March 2016. Indian Gorkhas.
  12. Web site: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Agreement signed. Outlook. 18 July 2011. 16 March 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110719180442/http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?728097. 19 July 2011.
  13. Web site: Plea to rename Gorkha council. Zee News. 30 October 2011. 16 March 2012.
  14. Web site: GJMM-ABAVP joint deputation on GATA. The Statesman. 2 November 2011. 16 March 2012.
  15. Web site: President gives her assent to the GTA Bill. https://web.archive.org/web/20120308083707/http://www.hindustantimes.com/news-feed/Chunk-HT-UI-IndiaSectionPage-TopStories/President-gives-her-assent-to-the-GTA-Bill/Article1-822330.aspx. dead. 8 March 2012. Hindustan Times. 7 March 2012. 16 March 2012.
  16. News: Gorkha territory readies for polls. https://web.archive.org/web/20120422181836/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-15/kolkata/31196654_1_darjeeling-hills-gorkha-janmukti-morcha-gjm. dead. 22 April 2012. 15 March 2012. The Times of India. 16 March 2012.
  17. Web site: High-powered committee on GTA emerges as a perfect instrument to resolve impasse. https://web.archive.org/web/20130420153434/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/WestBengal/High-powered-committee-on-GTA-emerges-as-a-perfect-instrument-to-resolve-impasse/Article1-830368.aspx. dead. 20 April 2013. Hindustan Times. 24 March 2012. 24 March 2012.
  18. Web site: GJM climbs down GTA demand, says polls in June–July. Outlook. 24 March 2012. 24 March 2012.
  19. News: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration draft lists 17 new constituencies. The Times of India. 27 May 2012. 4 June 2012.
  20. News: Darjeeling might be violent again. The Economic Times. 9 June 2012. 9 June 2012.
  21. News: Govt to set up Fact Verification committee on GJM demand. Business Standard. 16 June 2012. 1 July 2012. Press Trust of India.
  22. News: HC allows Ghisingh GTA plea – Affidavit order for govts & Morcha. https://web.archive.org/web/20120623154144/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120620/jsp/siliguri/story_15631990.jsp#.T-H8sbWES8o. dead. 23 June 2012. The Telegraph. 20 June 2012. 20 June 2012. Calcutta, India. Our. Legal.
  23. News: State sets July 29 date for GTA polls. https://archive.today/20130103173246/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-26/kolkata/32424010_1_gorkha-janmukti-morcha-gjm-shyamal-sen-committee-report. dead. 3 January 2013. 26 June 2012. The Times of India. 1 July 2012.
  24. Web site: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to contest GTA elections. The Hindustan Times. 30 June 2012. 1 July 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120701015423/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/WestBengal/Gorkha-Janmukti-Morcha-to-contest-GTA-elections/Article1-881430.aspx. 1 July 2012.
  25. News: GTA list of 32 but no Gurung. https://web.archive.org/web/20120709015747/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120706/jsp/siliguri/story_15697611.jsp. dead. 9 July 2012. The Telegraph. 5 July 2012. 7 July 2012. Calcutta, India. Vivek. Chhetri.
  26. News: Gurung in GTA fray. https://web.archive.org/web/20120717083719/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120707/jsp/frontpage/story_15700400.jsp. dead. 17 July 2012. The Telegraph. 6 July 2012. 7 July 2012. Calcutta, India. Vivek. Chhetri.
  27. Web site: GJM faces heat from rival parties for strong-arm tactics. Yahoo News. 7 July 2012. 8 July 2012.
  28. News: Darjeeling GTA election is taking one sided shape. The Economic Times. 6 July 2012. 7 July 2012.
  29. News: Gurung challenges Ghising to contest GTA polls. The Hindu. 29 June 2012. 7 July 2012. Chennai, India. Marcus. Dam.
  30. Web site: All CPI-M candidates pull out of Gorkhaland polls. News track India/IANS. 12 July 2012. 15 July 2012.
  31. News: Morcha gets 28, Gurung thanks CPM. https://web.archive.org/web/20120716000322/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120713/jsp/siliguri/story_15722547.jsp. dead. 16 July 2012. The Telegraph. 13 July 2012. 15 July 2012. Calcutta, India. Vivek. Chhetri. Avijit. Sinha.
  32. Web site: GJM sweeps maiden GTA polls, not to give up Gorkhaland demand. Darjeeling Times/IANS. 2 August 2012. 5 August 2012. 1 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101133246/http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/main-news/politics/4936-gjm-sweeps-maiden-gta-polls-not-to-give-up-gorkhaland-demand.html. dead.
  33. News: Lone rebel Subba loses. https://web.archive.org/web/20140512231036/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120803/jsp/siliguri/story_15806782.jsp#.UB4clk0gfao. dead. 12 May 2014. The Telegraph. 3 August 2012. 5 August 2012. Calcutta, India. Rajeev. Ravidas.
  34. News: Gorkha Territorial Administration members sworn in; Shinde, Mamata assure support . The Times of India . 5 August 2012 . 5 August 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120804212156/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gorkha-Territorial-Administration-members-sworn-in-Shinde-Mamata-assure-support/articleshow/15352094.cms . 4 August 2012 .
  35. News: GTA Elections 2012. Darjeeling.gov.in. 20 February 2017.
  36. Web site: 2017: The year when Darjeeling hills simmered in Gorkhaland movement. The New Indian Express. 26 December 2017. 23 May 2022.
  37. Web site: Violence in Hills: GJM burns copies of GTA Accord and Act. Millennium Post. 28 June 2017. 23 May 2022.
  38. Web site: Mamata reconstitutes GTA, appoints Binoy Tamang chairperson. The Hindu. 20 September 2017. 23 May 2022.
  39. Web site: Tamang resigns from post of GTA chairman. Millennium Post. 25 April 2019. 23 May 2022.
  40. Web site: GTA Board Dissolved, Administration Handed Over to Principal Secretary. Kalimpong News. 29 March 2021. 23 May 2022.
  41. Web site: GTA Election 2022: Bengal Election Commission Announces Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Poll Dates. ABP Live. 27 May 2022. 29 May 2022.
  42. Web site: GTA elections: 210 of 318 candidates are Independents. The Indian Express. 27 June 2022. 13 June 2022.
  43. Web site: Want friendship, no fight: Mamata Banerjee to new Gorkhaland admin. East Mojo. 13 July 2022. 14 July 2022.
  44. Web site: WB Governor administers oath to GTA office bearers, warns of yearly audit. The Hindu. 15 July 2022. 15 July 2022.
  45. Web site: 5 nominated GTA Sabhasads take oath. Millennium Post. 26 August 2022. 26 August 2022.
  46. Web site: Two Hamro Party GTA Sabhasads cross over to BGPM. Millennium Post. 28 November 2022.
  47. Web site: Prominent Gorkha leader Binay Tamang joins Congress. The Hindu. 27 November 2023.
  48. Web site: Congress expels Gorkha leader Binoy Tamang for 6 years for supporting BJP's Darjeeling candidate. The Economic Times. 4 May 2024.