Write ‘Gorkha’ as caste and ‘Nepali’ as language in the SEC Census, BGP appeals

GANGTOK, 04 Dec: With the aim of recording the correct number of Gorkhas in India, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh [BGP], Sikkim Unit, has appealed to all Gorkhas residing in Sikkim to write ‘Gorkha’ as their caste and ‘Nepali’ as their language. This, BGP highlights, comes in the light of the government’s plan of conducting census on the basis of caste across the country, informs a press release.

The decision was made at a meeting convened on 04 Dec at Smile Land and attended by the constituency and district-level party members along with the patron members. The meeting appealed to all the branches and constituency level committees of the party to convey the same to all the Gorkhas across Sikkim.
Efforts are being made to construct a statue of Freedom Fighter, Helen Lepcha (Sabitri Devi), at Namchi, South Sikkim and the government will also be approached requesting the same, the release informs.
The meeting also resolved to hold its organizational meeting in the second week of every month and keep the community updated on its national level policies and programmes, reaching out to the grass root level. Further, it was resolved to make the party organizations stronger, preparimg themselves for the proposed tri-annual conference scheduled to be held in 2012.
Former secretary, KN Sharma, who was welcomed as a patron member said that for the upliftment of the community it is important to make the grass root level aware of its own community, the release mentions.
The President, BGP, Sikkim Unit, Dr. Kamal Gurung who presided over the meeting expressed that the resolution made was yet another mission created to uplift the community to the level of other communities.
The meeting was also addressed by the president, BGP Pandem, Surendra Dungel, general secretary, Pakyong Unit, G Gurung, president, Rhenock, ML Paudyal, president, State Working Committee, Narayan Bhattarai, general secretary, Sonam Pandey, Secretaries, Prem Raj Gurung and Prabin Khaling, the release adds.