Left prods UPA to toe its line on Ghisingh

While the Darjeeling hills remained paralysed on the fifth consecutive day on Sunday due to an agitation demanding removal of GNLF chief Subhash...

While the Darjeeling hills remained paralysed on the fifth consecutive day on Sunday due to an agitation demanding removal of GNLF chief Subhash Ghisingh as caretaker administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council DGHC, the UPA Government at the Centre was under tremendous pressure from its Left allies to push through a Bill granting Sixth Schedule status to Gorkha Hill Council GHC in the Budget session of Parliament, commencing on Monday.

While the Bill is under the scrutiny of a Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by Sushma Swaraj, questions are being raised about the way the UPA Government was willing to play into the hands of the Left, which looked determined to further the interest of Ghisingh who has lost the mandate and the confidence of the people due to his dismal record in the past 20 years.

Notwithstanding serious apprehension about an autonomous self-governing GHC 8212; which would only concentrate more legislative, financial, judicial and other powers in Ghisingh8217;s hands 8212; the UPA Government looked willing to placate the Left.

There was a widely held apprehension that the Sixth Schedule status would divide the tribals and non-tribals. While the Sixth Schedule is meant exclusively for tribals, they constitute only 30 per cent of the population in the proposed GHC area.

8220;Granting of the Sixth Schedule status to Darjeeling does not fulfil the cultural, economic or social aspirations of the people there. Good laws provide maximum good to a maximum number of people. The proposed piece of legislation negates the aspirations and guidelines of the Constitution of India and poses a potential threat to the social integrity and security of the nation,8221; said Arun K Acharya, who has been working among these communities in the Northeast region.

Provisions of the Sixth Schedule enable regional councils to make their own laws and administer justice in autonomous areas. There is apprehension that such laws could interfere with the customs and rights of non-tribals, which would create a breach between two communities.

8220;The Sixth Schedule allows these councils to substitute these laws with their own tribal laws. In doing so, the proposed legislation takes a step diametrically opposite to from bringing these people into the mainstream,8221; said Acharya.

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The agitation in Darjeeling hills has also raised a debate on the merits of the Sixth Schedule status, as the experience in areas like Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills has shown that the status meant little for tribals in terms of development.