atrocities are committed against the community.

This is probably because there is still confusion among the fellow Indian citizens as to whether the Indian Gorkhas are indigenous people of India or immigrants from neighbouring Nepal. Notably, this has been confounded by the “Indo-Nepal Treaty of 1950” between India and Nepal which allows for open migration between the two countries. This has resulted in the indigenous Gorkha community getting marginalised and most of the country men now seem to think of them as immigrants who can be trampled upon with impunity. The immense sacrifices the Gorkhas have made for this country have been mostly forgotten.

The Gorkhas are a creed of a martial race who are originally the inhabitants of the Himalaya Ranges as known by the world. They possess a distinct culture, language, custom and tradition. Most importantly, they are best known by their traditional heavy bladed knife “Khukuri’ and their motto - “Kaphar Hunu Bhanda Marnu ramro’, literally meaning ‘Better die than be a coward; and the famous battle cry - ‘Aye Gorkhali’ (Gorkhas have arrived).

Sat Mahajan, ex-Transport Minister (Himachal Pradesh) wrote; “Whatever their origin, Gorkhas are a proud, self-respecting and martial people. They idealise valour and victory. Their ability to adapt themselves to rough, pathless mountains is admirable. Dignity of labour is the hallmark of the Gorkhas”.

Prior to the Anglo-Gorkha War of 1st November, 1814, the boundary of former Nepal extended to the Sutlej River in the west, Teesta River in the east, Ganga to the south and to the Himalaya ranges of the north. Subsequently, the war ended with the ‘Treaty of Sugauli’ on 2nd December, 1815 which resulted in the loss of one third (40,000 sq. km) of the former land area of Nepal to the East India Company. So according to history records, Shimla, Kumaon, Garhwal, Terailand, Darjeeling, Nainital and Dehradun areas became part of  British India. Simultaneously, the Gorkhas residing in these areas became Indians by virtue of the annexation of their lands. Hence, the indigenous Gorkhas of India are not immigrants who have come to India looking for greener pastures as most people think them to be.

The Gorkha settlement has eventually spread all over India today. The total Gorkha population in the country constitutes nearly one crore, of this, nearly one third is inthe Northeastern part of the country.

It is worth mentioning that prior to the Sugauli Treaty of 2nd December, 1815; the Gorkhas Recruitment Treaty was signed for the recruitment of Gorkhas in the British Imperial Army.

Notably, General David Ochterlony understood the Gorkha soldiers to be brave, honest, faithful and hard working. Thus, a Gorkha Recruitment Treaty (15th May, 1815) was signed between General David Ochterlony and General Amar Singh Thapa which gave rise to the different Gorkha Regiments(GR).

The colour of the blood of many a Gorkha martyr is wiped from the pages of history. And it is apparent from what has been dug up that the loyalty and love of the Gorkhas for their motherland India is something not a soul can deny.

General Dyre’s Lalianwala Bagh tragedy is something that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of every Indian. Apart from the Gorkhas earning a bad reputation as soldiers in the firing squad, they were also considered as mere pawns in the hands of Commander General Dyre.

However, Darjeeling’s renowned historian and author of Doon Ghati Nala Pani claims that the Mahar Regiment was also involved in the firing squad. The irony is that the former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru reportedly even went up to the extent of saying, “Sink the Gorkha Regiment in the Indian Ocean”. But then in the (1948) Kashmir, (1962) Indo-China, and (1965) Indo-Pakistan wars, Gorkha rifles were used to protect India’s sovereignty. In the IPKF Operations in Sri Lanka Indo-Pak war of 1971 or more recent Kargil war of 1999, Gorkha soldiers were again needed.

In the nation-wide freedom movement, Gorkhas from all four comers of
India took active part and had to bear their share of torture, suffering with stoical
endurance. Among the thousands of Gandhians, Dal Bahadur Giri from
Darjeeling was one whose demise was described by Mahatma Gandhi as “A Loss

for the Nation” in his own news-weekly, viz,  ‘Young India’ of 13th November, 1924.

In the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1907, Prithiman Thapa, was among the many who encouraged the Gorkha sepoys to leave the British Army and join the freedom struggle. Chhabilal Upadhya was among the pioneer leaders of Assam to start the Indian National Congress movement in Assam in 1921.

Incidentally, the lion-hearted Shimla born Khadak Bahadur Bisht who killed Seth Hiralal for the latter’s heinous deed of committing adultery, later surrendered to the police authorities. He was imprisoned for more than two years by the British, following which he earned the title ‘Bang Bharata’ from the people of the then Calcutta. Notably, Bisht was later a part of the band of 79 in Gandhiji’s famous ‘Dandi March’.

Even Gorkha naris (women) did not lag behind and took active part under the guidance

of Sabitri Devi, Maya Devi andPutali Devi. The Indian National Army (INA) under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had a group comprising of teenagers known as ‘Bal Sena’ or ‘Janbaz Dal’. One of the functions of the group was akin to modem day suicide squads or human bombs.  Indreni Thapa and Sabitri Thapa, the two Gorkha teenagers of ‘Janbaz’ reached the zenith of martyrdom by blowing up British tanks. They did this by virtually making themselves human bombs by strapping mines on their bodies and crawling under the British tanks camouflaged as bushes. Reportedly, non other than Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was the eye-witness of this supreme sacrifice.

It is an undisputed fact that there were numerous Gorkhas in the INA who became martyrs while fighting the British colonialism. However, several of those brave sons and daughters who died for the great cause were forgotten.
Two other people who may also be mentioned here are Captain Dal Bahadur Thapa and Major Durga Malia, who were captured by the British rulers and sentenced to death.
They died on the gallows in Delhi District Jail on 25 August 1944. Indeed, Major Malia became the first INA man to die on the gallows.
The Gorkhas not only fought with brawn and their dreaded ‘Khukuris’ but with brains and the pen.
Thakur Chandan Singh of Dehradun, pre-independence editor of ‘Tarun Gorkha’, ‘Gorkha Sansar’, ‘Himalaya Times’ and from Benaras (Varanasi), Devi Prasad Sapkota, the editor of ‘Gorkhali’ spread the message of independence and encouraged Indian Gorkhas to join the army of freedom fighters. In fact Thakur Chandan Singh had used his newspaper to voice against using the Gorkhas in the British Army to suppress the freedom movement.
The contribution of the Gorkhas in the freedom struggle showcases not only their fight with weapons and pen but with voices also, so to speak. The erstwhile INA had Azad Hind Radio programme at Singapore, Saigon (Indo-China border), Rangoon (Burma/Myanmar) for publicity and propaganda. In almost all these stations, Gorkha INA personnel were posted.

These stations reportedly broadcasted day to day news and commentaries regarding the activities of INA in South East Asia for the liberation of mother India in the Nepali language programme. It was urged that the British Gorkha armies of Burma front as well as Gorkhas of the Indian army must revolt against the ‘British Raj’ and join hands with INA to drive out the British from Indian soil.

Significantly, in Azad Hind Radio at Singapore, Captain Ram Singh Thakuri who composed the immortal tune of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ (National Anthem) to the present form was the Musical Director of INA. He was the key

member of Gorkha INA and composed a number of  patriotic songs, many ofwhich were broadcast by Azad Hind Radio from different Countries of the world. From Benaras (UP), Dilliram Regrni (later, Prime Minister of Nepal), Manmohan Adhikari (also became Prime Minister of Nepal later), Gopal Prasad Upadhya and Surya Bikram Gyawali were imprisoned for taking active part in the “August Kranti /Quit India Movement” of 1942. In the same wave of August Kranti, Gorkhas of Mayaang in Assam were imprisoned for derailing a train. Like-wise, Dhruba Singh Thapa, a discharged British army personnel and an underground leader was captured for taking active part in “Non-Cooperation Movement” of Dharapani in Dehradun, and also for “Delhi Picketing of 1930”.

In the post-Independent India too, brave Gorkhas are still a trademark for the Indian Army-guardians of the borders of our mother India, saving the country from enemies from inside as well as outside the country. Thousands of Gorkha soldiers have been awarded for their bravery in different operations.

Now, after more than 60 years of India’s independence, these Gorkhas, who are genuine Indians, are still leading a life in the wilderness - in their search for” Identity”. In fact, the Gorkhas of the Northeastern States of India can be considered a micro-minority, and they have been residing in these parts of India for centuries after they were led by the British expeditions in the early 19th Century. But on the other hand, these sons of the soil  still have faith in their respective State governments and the Union government in spite of the countless problems that they face today.

Veejay Chhetri