Some parts of present-day North India were under the kingdom of Nepal before it became a part of the East-India Company during the British Raj. This included the Darjeeling District of West Bengalwhich was a part of Sikkim and for some time a part of Nepal.
E.C.Dozey in his 'Darjeeling Past and Present' writes, 'Prior to the year 1816, the whole of the territory known as British Sikkim belonged to Nepal, which won it by conquest'.
The official language of this district is Nepali while the official state language (of West Bengal) is Bengali. Most of the locals including Bengalis, Biharis even Kashmiris and Tibetans speak Nepali for their day to day communication. Although almost all understand and speak Hindi as well. The Gorkha population in the region includes some workers, traders and businessmen from the border areas of Nepal and Bhutan.
The CM of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee included Nepali as one of the six "second official" languages of the state. However, till date Nepali is not offered as an optional subject in the West Bengal Civil Services Examination.
In April this year, when the State Bank of India included Nepali in the revised list of official languages for its recruitment procedure in West Bengal, the Gorkhaland movement in North Bengal received boost of sorts.
Since 1907, the Gorkhas of north Bengal have demanded a separate administrative unit in Darjeeling, and the Nepali language has played an important role in the scheme of things. Even in this year’s Assembly Election, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the most prominent party of the area, has actively campaigned on this very issue.
The quest of the Indian Gorkhas for a distinct Indian identity has given rise to the demand for a state of Gorkhaland within theConstitution of India under Article 3(a).
The Gorkhas believe that with the establishment of a state for the Gorkhas within India, every Indian Gorkha would have an Indian address that would quell any doubts of their Indian citizenship.
The proposed state of Gorkhaland comprises the district of Darjeeling and the adjoining areas of the Dooars in North Bengal.
Two mass movements for Gorkhaland have already taken place under the Gorkha National Liberation Front (1986–1988) and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (2007–to date).
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