The genesis of the demand can be traced without difficulty back to 1907. There had been several and determined representations by various political parties including Indian National Congress, undivided Communist Party of India, All India Gorkha League and a large number of civil society organizations to both the British India Government and later to the Indian Government after decolonization. Most of the movements and agitation, with the exception of the GNLF agitation of the late eighties, remained non-violent.

The following memorandums and appeals submitted by the political parties and civil society organizations over the last 101 years is testimony to the existence of an old and long standing movement for the creation of a separate system of governance. The genealogy of the various demands is well documented in several publications.

1907 - The leaders of the Hill people of Darjeeling submitted a memorial before the Morley-Minto Reforms Committee of the British India Government demanding a separate administrative set-up for the District of Darjeeling.

1917 - A deputation of Hillmen of the district met Mr. Montague, the then Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the then Viceroy, and pressed the demand that “in laying down the plans for the future, the Government should aim at the creation of a separate unit comprising the present Darjeeling District with the portion of Jalpaiguri district which was annexed from Bhutan in 1865.” The possibility of the creation of a still wider North Eastern Frontier Province to include, in addition to this, the Assam Dooars and the Hill territories which lie to the East of Bhutan whose people have affinity with the Hill people of Darjeeling was strongly emphasized by the deputation as not being beyond the scope of practical politics and urged for its explorations.

1929 - This demand was reiterated when the Simon Commission visited India in 1929.

1930 - The Hillmen’s Association Memorandum to Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for India on 25th October 1930 gives another detailed account of why they wanted to remain outside Bengal. This Memorandum stated that the “Gurkhas domiciled in British India consisted of military pensioners, Government Servants, Traders, Farmers and plantation labourers are about 3 million, most of whom are settled at Darjeeling (in Bengal), Shillong (in Assam), Dehra-dun (in United Provinces) and in Burma and the rest are scattered all over British India. That as the new constitution for India is under consideration of the Parliament, the Gurkhas think it opportune to place again their views and to start with, they suggest that the district of Darjeeling, where the Gurkha population predominate, should be excluded from Bengal and be treated as an independent administrative unit ….”

1935 - Before the Govt. of India Act of 1935 was passed, the Hillmens’ Association of Darjeeling led by its President Sonam Wangel Ladenla submitted another memorial to Sri Samuel Hoare, the then Secretary of State for India on 6th August, 1934. It demanded …“that the District of Darjeeling should be totally excluded from Bengal and an independent administrative unit created with an administrator at the head of the area, assisted by the executive in Council. “Memorials” making a demand on same nature were submitted at that time and later on too by Rai Saheb Hari Prasad Pradhan on behalf of the people of the District of Darjeeling.

1945 - During the years of the Second World War Sri Rup Narayan Sinha, the then President of the Hillmen’s Association, and other prominent members of different communities submitted through the Governor of Bengal and the Viceroy of India to Pethick Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India a Memorial which they urged the Government to exclude Darjeeling from the Province of Bengal and to create it as a separate administrative unit under a Chief Commissioner.

1947 – By a Memorial of the Darjeeling District Committee of the Communist Party Of India a demand for a free Gorkhasthan was submitted on 6th April 1947 to the Constituent Assembly. Ganeshilal Subba, writing to the General Secretary of the All India Gorkha League through a letter on 9th May, 1946, outlined the plan of Gorkhasthan which was repeated in the memorial submitted to the Constituent Assembly as above:

‘One thing has guided our decision to launch the campaigning for a free Gorkhasthan in a free India, rejecting all other plans of other parties including yours, the recognition of the fact that Gorkhas constitute a distinct nationality of India with a very bright prospect of developing as a mighty nation living as a free and friendly neighbour with other peoples of India’.

It further said, ‘The Communist Party of India demands that the newly created Gorkhasthan of the all Indian Union as of its willing units, as in its opinion it will be the best interest of the Gorkha people themselves as also in the interest of the Indian Union whom it can assist with man power for the common defence of the newly gained freedom of all, for the common welfare of all, living brotherly alliance.

‘The Communist Party of India reiterates the demands that is Darjeeling District unit made during the recent election (1946), that pending the formation of a new Gorkhasthan as laid down herein above, the Gorkhas of Darjeeling district, Assam and other parts of India be represented in the constituent Assembly by one or two of their own men to be elected by the entire Gorkha population of Darjeeling district, Assam and other parts of India wherever the Gorkhas live in substantial numbers on adult-surfage so that the legitimate interests of the hundreds and thousands of Gorkhas living throughout British India may be safeguarded.

The Party repeated the demand that pending the formation of a Gorkhasthan as laid down herein above and so long as Darjeeling district is as at present continued to be included in Bengal, the three lakhs of Gorkhas of Darjeeling districts must be represented in the constitution making body of the Province of Bengal that may framed for deciding the future of the province by one or two of their own men to be elected by the entire Gorkha population of the district on a separated electorate on the basis of universal adult franchise’.

1948 - In the Constituent Assembly Debates of 1948 (9th-23rd December 1946), one of the esteemed members and also President of the All India Gorkha League, Babu Damber Singh Gurung mentioned that “I stand here today as the only representative of 30 lakhs Gurkhas….near about the population of the Sikhs, still I am the solitary representative here in this House. I need not give any introduction as to who these Gurkhas are… Sir the problem of the Gurkhas is quite different. They are scattered throughout India. It is only in the district of Darjeeling and the province of Assam that they are concentrated to a certain extent….They are very, very backward educationally and economically. …nothing has been done by the British Government so far for the uplift of the Gurkhas. We have been very badly neglected. Only at the time of war they remember the Gurkhas. It has always been the policy of the British Government to keep us backward and ignorant so that we may be sacrificed any time, anywhere they liked. …. The Gurkhas are apprehending whether the same policy will be followed by the Congress too…. Sir the demand of the Gurkhas is that they must be recognized as a minority community and that they must have adequate representation in the Advisory Committee that is going to be formed.”

1949 - On the 30th October, 1949, leaders of different parties of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Sikkim and Darjeeling met in a conference at Darjeeling and resolved to demand the creation of a separate Province comprising the above areas, and a Committee called Uttara Khand Pradesh Sangh was formed to place the demand before the proper authorities. A memorandum to that effect was submitted to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and to Late Sardar B. Patel, the then Deputy Prime Minister for Home, information Broadcasting & States.

1952 - All India Gorkha League led by N.B. Gurung its President, submitted another Memorandum on the Problems of Darjeeling District and Neighbouring Areas on 29 April 1952 to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Prime Minister of India when he visited Kalimpong. This memorandum summarised the demands made at different times during the last 45 years, firstly by local organizations of the Hill people including the Hillmen’s Association and, in recent years, by the All India Gorkha League.

It also mentioned that “it may be made clear here, once again, that the demand for the creation of a new Province has not been motivated by any desire of separatism nor by any idea of dominance by the Hill people in the province.”

It stated that that “two generations of the Hill people have in clear terms expressed their will to breakaway from Bengal. Various solutions have been suggested namely:

(i) That the district be a Separate Administrative Unit directly administered by the Centre.
(ii) That a Separate Province be set up comprising the District of Darjeeling and the neighbouring areas.
(iii) That the District of Darjeeling with a section of Jalpaiguri viz. the Dooars be included in Assam.

Incidentally some other all India political parties have directed their attention to this demand of separation of the District of Darjeeling from Bengal and have advanced proposals of similar nature.”

The reasons which impelled the people of this district to demand a break-away from West Bengal have been set forth in all the memorandums above referred to submitted by them from time to time, especially in the last memorandum submitted to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and to Late Sardar B. Patel by and on behalf of the Uttara Khand Sangh. The reasons being recapitulated hereinbelow were also summarized to which we respectfully draw your Excellency’s judicious attention.

(i) Historically speaking, the District of Darjeeling never formed a part of Bengal and no King who ruled the plains of Bengal ever had any suzerainty over these areas. It was the fiat of the British Imperialism which embodied it in Bengal then a large administrative unit comprising the whole of Bengal. Bihar, Orissa and a part of U.P.

(ii) Ethnologically speaking, the Mongoloid and semi-Mongoloid races inhabiting the District of Darjeeling and great part of Jalpaiguri have more affinity with the Hill tribes of Assam than with the people in plains of Bengal.

(iii) Geographically the District of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are completely cut off from the main body of West Bengal creating inconveniences in matters of large transport and other overland communications which in times of crisis may create serious delays and difficulties.

(iv) Linguistically, the people residing in the areas in question have greater affinity with Hindi, the Lingua Franca of India, than the state language and the average student find themselves burdened with too many languages in their curriculum of study.

(v) As regards matters concerning the administrative inconvenience in the region in question so long as it forms the part of West Bengal, the strategic importance, the potential wealth and viability of the new province, if created, they are lucidly summarized in the memorandum submitted to your Excellency by the Uttara Khand Pradesh Sangh.”

1955 – On 21st May 1955, the President of the District Shramik Sangha, Daulat Das Bokim submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the States Reorganisation Committee, Camp Rajbhawan, Darjeeling stating inter alia,

“1. The Kochayas, Meches, Lepchas, Bhutias, Nepalis and Rajbangshis are the original inhabitants of this District whose customs, systems and traditions fundamentally differ from that of the rest of West Bengal.
“2. Originally this self-sufficient North Bengal was separate from Bengal before its partition. This part of West Bengal was ruled by the kings of Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal.
“3. The people living here ... differ from the rest of West Bengal in all respects viz. geographically, economically, climatically, linguistically and traditionally.
“4. Plebiscite amongst the people would clearly decide the fate of these districts... I put forward this profound demand of the creation of Part ‘C’ State of North Bengal inclusive of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar districts. “

1957 - On 1st December 1957 representatives of various political parties including Deo Prakash Rai, the leader of the All India Gorkha League and Ratanlal Brahmin leader of the Communist Party of India submitted another memorandum to Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during his visit to Darjeeling. This memorandum stated that “whatever the merits or demerits of the demand of separation of this district from West Bengal and the creation of a separate province, it is crystal clear that there is deep undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the existing set up. It is only by granting the right to autonomy that the vexed problem of this district can be solved.”

1980s - During the early eighties, political parties across the board and civil society started a movement for the creation of separate state consisting of Darjeeling district and Dooars. It was spearheaded by the Pranta Parishad under the able leadership of Dr. Indra Bahadur Rai which brought the demand for a separate state into the limelight. To assuage the feeling of the people of these two regions, Government of West Bengal for the first time initiated a Hill Secretariat in Darjeeling primarily to look into the development aspects.

The movement intensified as the demand for the recognition and enshrinement of Nepal language on the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India also picked up spontaneously particularly after the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai labelled Nepali as a foreign language during a meeting with the delegates of the All India Nepali Bhasha Samiti in Darjeeling.

1980 - The President of the Gorkha National Liberation Front Subash Ghising submitted a memorandum to Prime Minster Indira Gandhi on August 2, 1980 demanding a separate state within the Constitution. It stated that “this is the second time we remind you that we the Indian Gorkha after independence are Stateless and futureless all over India. Our future was murdered by the Indian Constitution when our land and territory wrongly and blindly merged with West Bengal in 1956. It was a great mistake of the then Indian Government. As a result of it Indian Gorkhas were politically tortured all over India. Now please correct the mistake of the then Indian Government and return our land and territory from West Bengal. Under no circumstances we can remain in West Bengal. We want our own Gorkhaland Government as other citizens of India enjoying the fruits of their toil of independence as promised by the First Independence Resolution of Congress Party on 26th January, 1930. Now it is up to you to decide our fate and not politically but constitutionally save our future. Gorkhas are always loyal to the nation and always salute your leadership”.

He also sent a telegram to Jyoti Basu, Chief Minster of West Bengal which stated “...please now take back your prison-administration of Bengal from our Gorkhaland within six months. We firmly believe in democracy but not in slavery. Slavery cannot be compared with any ism of the world. Slavery is slavery. Gorkhaland state will always honour to its neighbour state Bengal and Bengali people.”

1981 - The All India Gorkha League led by its president P.T. Lama, sent a letter to the Home Minister Zail Singh on 13th April, 1981 which again stated that “This demand has been hanging fire since then [1907] in one or the other form. This demand was submitted with a view to giving security to the minority and backward Hill people in the matter of administration, employment, education and development in all spheres in their social, cultural and economic life. We quote here from the report of the States Reorganisation Commission 1955 that “the wishes of the majority of the people of the region is the important consideration beside linguistic principle.”

This is very relevant in our demand to get a separate Statehood outside West Bengal to ensure administrative efficiency and convenience and the co-ordination of economic development and welfare activities for this region. Considering the existing situation and this region being situated on a border and strategic area, by fulfilling the majority wishes of the people of this area, the national security, we feel, will be more secured as we find today in the case of contiguous Sikkim, the 22nd state of the Indian Union having similar peculiarities and linguistic groups. It is therefore, high time for the Govt. of India to give serious thought of this long standing aspiration of the Hill people. The Hill people are traditionally known to be peace-loving and as such they do not believe in violence and bloodshed for achievement of any legitimate and constitutional demand of their and we earnestly hope that the benign Government will fulfill this demand taking into consideration the above facts.”

1986 - The Gorkha National Liberation Front sent another letter to Prime Minster Rajiv Gandhi on 5th May, 1986. The letter mentioned inter alia, that “... There is only one alternative to make peace in the Hills and plain areas of Darjeeling tha the dialogue must be opened very soon between GNLF and Central Government of India on the demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland within Indian Union. If the dialogue is not opened then the whole political situation of Darjeeling will be beyond control, due to the worst and communal attitude of West Bengal Government. Now, your honour, that is up to you to decide the political fate of the whole settled Gorkhas in India, or to deport the whole Gorkhas from the soil of India without giving any justice. Under no circumstances we can remain in West Bengal as our heart, soul and mental have already been separated by the West Bengal Government by doing continuous inhuman acts since Bharat Independence.”

1986-1988 : The popular agitation in Darjeeling district and Dooars led by Gorkha National Liberation Front which took a toll of over 1200 lives mostly of the unfortunate people of the hills. The West Bengal Government to paper over its historic oppression of the people of Darjeeling district and Dooars and its neo-colonial policies in the region not only dubbed the movement as “anti-national” but also resorted to horrific state reprisals and repressive preventive detention to subdue the popular upsurge. The only result was that the populace at large got further alienated.

1988-2005 - A tripartite agreement was signed in August 1988 that provided a small defanged institution of self-governance known as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) which was created with the passing of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act of 1988 by the State Legislature. Under the garb of creating an institution that would bring autonomy to the areas under the Council, the Government of West Bengal installed a satrap in the form of Subhash Ghising, charged with the task of quelling any dissent in the Darjeeling hills and for ensuring that the demand for a separate state would never be raised again. Thus two decades of misrule, discrimination, corruption and graft were ushered in by the State Government, an infamous era that was to see the destruction of the very social fabric of the hill people as well as the breakdown of infrastructure and institutions in Darjeeling.