Indian Gorkha

Indian Gorkhas (Bharatiya Gorkha), also known as Nepali Indians, are Nepali language-speaking Indian citizens. The term "Indian Gorkha" is used to differentiate the ethnic Gorkhas citizens of India from the citizens of Nepal.[1]

Kukri is a traditional Gorkha knife.

Indian Gorkhas are citizens of India as per the gazette notification of the Government of India on the issue of citizenship of the Gorkhas of India.[2] Nepali language is included in the eight schedule of the Indian Constitution.[3] However, the Indian Gorkhas are faced with a unique identity crisis with regard to their Indian citizenship because of the Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) that permits "on a reciprocal basis, the nationals of one country in the territories of the other the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of property, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of a similar nature".

Ethnicities and castes

The Indian Gorkhas are a mixture of castes and tribal-ethnic clans. The caste groups include the Khas-Parbatiyas including Bahun (Brahmins), Chhetri, Thakuri, Kami, Damai, Sarki, etc. Other ethnic groups include Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Thami, Bhujel (Khawas), Kirati, Rai (Khambu), Limbu (Subba), Sunuwar (Mukhia), Yakkha (Dewan), Thami, Sherpa, and Yolmo.[4] Although each of them has its own language (belonging to the Tibeto-Burman languages or Indo-Aryan languages), the lingua franca among the Gorkhas is the Nepali language with its script in Devnagari. It is one of the official languages of India.

Khas or chhetri tribe

Population

As per the 2011 Census, a total of 2,926,168 people in India spoke Nepali as mother tongue.[5] The largest populations can be found in West Bengal - 1,155,375 (+12.97% from 2001 Census), Assam - 596,210 (+5.56%), Uttarakhand - 106,399 (+16.86%), Sikkim - 382,200 (+12.87%), Arunachal Pradesh - 95,317 (+00.42%), Himachal Pradesh - 89,508 (+27.37%), Maharashtra - 75,683 (+19.22%), Meghalaya - 54,716 (+4.91%), Manipur - 63,756 (+38.61%), Nagaland - 43,481 (+27.06%), and Mizoram - 8,994 (+0.51%).[6] Apart from this, there are additional speakers of languages such as Limbu (40,835), Rai (15,644), Sherpa (16,012) and Tamang (20,154). So the combined strength of Nepali and the other four Gorkha languages comes to 3,018,813.[7]

As per the 2001 Census, a total of 2,871,749 people in India spoke Nepali as mother tongue. As per the 1991 Census, this figure was 2,076,645. The largest populations can be found in West Bengal - 1,022,725 (+18.87% from 1991 Census), Assam - 564,790 (+30.58%), Uttarakhand - 355,029 (+255.53%), Sikkim - 338,606 (+32.05%), Arunachal Pradesh - 94,919 (+16.93%), HP - 70,272 (+50.64%), Maharashtra - 63,480 (+59.69%), Meghalaya - 52,155 (+6.04%), Manipur - 45,998 (-1.08%), Nagaland - 34,222 (+6.04%), and Mizoram - 8,948 (+8.50%).

Arunachal Pradesh

As per the 2001 Census, districts with the largest Nepali populations are West Kameng - 13,580 (18.2% of the total population) Lohit - 22,200 (15.77%), and Dibang Valley - 15,452 (26.77%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Koronu (55.35%), Kibithoo (50.68%), Sunpura (42.28%), Vijoynagar (42.13%), and Roing (32.39%).

As per the 2011 Census, districts with the largest Nepali populations are West Kameng - 14,333 (17.1% of the total population) Lohit - 22,988 (13.77%), and Dibang Valley - 14,271 (22.99%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Koronu (48.49%), Kibithoo (6.5%), Sunpura (34.47%), Vijoynagar (41.8%), and Roing (26.0%).

Assam

During the 1991 Census, the districts with the largest concentrations were Sonitpur - 91,631 (6.43%), Tinsukia - 76,083 (7.91%), and Karbi Anglong - 37,710 (5.69%).[8]

As per the 2001 Census, districts with the largest ethnic Nepali populations are Sonitpur - 131,261 (7.81% of the total population) Tinsukia - 87,850 (7.64%), and Karbi Anglong - 46,871 (5.76%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Sadiya (27.51%), Na Duar (16.39%), Helem (15.43%), Margherita (13.10%), and Umrangso (12.37%).

As per the 2011 Census, districts with the largest ethnic Nepali populations are Sonitpur - 135,525 (7.04% of the total population) Tinsukia - 99,812 (7.52%), and Karbi Anglong - 51,496 (5.38%). Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepalis are Sadiya (26.2%), Na Duar (14.88%), Helem (14.35%), Margherita (13.47%), and Umrangso (12.46%).

Manipur

As per the 2011 census, Tehsils with the largest proportion of Nepali people are Sadar Hills West (33.0%), Saitu-Gamphazol (9.54%), and Lamshang (10.85%). Districts with the largest Nepali population are Senapati - 39,039 (8.15%), Imphal West - 10,391 (2.01%) and Imphal East - 6,903 (1.51%).

This is how the previous censuses counted the number of Nepali speakers in Manipur:

  • 1961 Census: 13,571
  • 1971 Census: 26,381
  • 1981 Census: 37,046
  • 1991 Census: 46,500
  • 2001 Census: 45,998 (*)
  • 2011 Census: 63,756

Meghalaya

Gorkha population is mostly concentrated in the districts of East Khasi Hills (37,000 or 4.48%) and Ribhoi (10,524 or 4.07%). Tehsils with the largest concentration include Myliem (8.18%) and Umling (6.72%).

Among the cities, the highest concentration of Nepali speakers can be found in Shillong Cantonment (29.98%), Shillong (9.83%), Pynthorumkhrah (7.02%), Nongmynsong (26.67%), Madanrting (17.83%), and Nongkseh (14.20%).

This is how the previous censuses counted the number of Nepali speakers in Meghalaya:[9]

  • 1961: 32,288
  • 1971: 44,445
  • 1981: 61,259
  • 1991: 49,186
  • 2001: 52,155
  • 2011: 54,716

Mizoram

As per the 2011 Census, there are a total of 9,035 Gorkhas in Mizoram. Of this, 5,944 are concentrated in Tlangnuam Tehsil of Aizawl district, where they form 1.9% of the population. The Central Gorkha Mandir Committee operates a total of 13 Hindu temples in Mizoram and these are the only Hindu places of worship in the state.[10]

Nagaland

Most of the Nepali speaking population are found in the districts of Dimapur (21,596 or 5.70%) and Kohima (9,812 or 3.66%). Tehsils with the largest concentration are Naginimora (7.48%), Merangmen (6.78%), Niuland (6.48%), Kuhoboto (7.04%), Chümoukedima (7.07%), Dhansiripar (6.09%), Medziphema (9.11%), Namsang (8.81%), Kohima Sadar (6.27%), Sechü-Zubza (5.03%), and Pedi (7.61%).

Sikkim

The state of Sikkim is the only state in India with a majority ethnic Nepali population.[11].The Sikkim census of 2011 says population of Sikkim is the least in all of India. This thinly populated state has a population of mere 6.10 lacs, and has grown by approximately one lac since the last census.[12].Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim, while Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha are spoken in certain areas.[13][14] As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 453,819 speakers of various Nepalese languages (Nepali - 382,200, Limbu - 38,733, Sherpa - 13,681, Tamang - 11,734 and Rai - 7,471). Out of this, 20.14% (91,399) were tribal Limbu/Tamang, 6.23% (28,275) were Dalit and 73.63% were General category.

According to the census, there are a total of 53,703 Limbu and 37,696 Tamang in Sikkim, of whom a majority speak the Nepali language as their mother tongue. Also, small numbers of Bhotia and Lepcha also speak the Nepali language as their mother tongue. As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 69,598 Bhotia in Sikkim (including Sherpa, Tibetan.etc), but only 58,355 were speaking languages such as Sikkimese and Sherpa. Out of the 42,909 Lepcha there were only 38,313 speakers for the Lepcha language.

Uttarakhand

As per the 2011 census, the Gorkha community's population in Uttarakhand stood over 10 lakh. As per the latest estimates, the Gorkhas constitute about 12 lakh, making up about 12% of the hill state's population

West Bengal

As per the 2001 Census, there are a total of 1,034,038 ethnic Nepalis in West Bengal, of which 1,022,725 are speakers of the Nepali language and 11,313 are speakers of languages such as Tamang and Sherpa. The population in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts are 748,023 (46.48% of the total population) and Jalpaiguri - 234,500 (6.99%). Most of the ethnic Nepali population in West Bengal live in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration region.[15] About 7.56% of the Nepalis were Dalit, belonging to castes such as Kami and Sarki (population of 78,202 in 2001). The two tribes classified as Scheduled Tribe (Limbu and Tamang) constituted 16% of the Nepali population according to the census. The remaining 76% belonged to general category.

As per the 2011 Census, there were a total of 1,161,807 speakers of various Nepalese languages. Out of this 7.24% was Dalit (84,110) and 16.62% (193,050) were tribal Tamang/Limbu. Remaining 76.14% were General category.

Forced displacement

Nepalis in some states of Northeast India have faced violence and ethnic cleansing. In 1967, more than 8,000 Nepalis were driven out of Mizoram, while more than 2,000 in Manipur met with the same fate in 1980. Tens of thousands of Nepalis were banished from Assam (in 1979) and Meghalaya (in 1987) by the local militia groups.[16] The biggest displacement occurred in Meghalaya, when the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) targeted Nepalis living in the eastern part of the state. More than 15,000 Nepalis were driven out (mostly to Nepal), while about 10,000 were reduced to living in subhuman life in the refugee camps of Shillong.[17] In 2010, there were riots between Khasis and the Gorkhas, which left several Gorkhas dead. One elderly Gorkha man was burnt alive.[18]

Notable persons

Actors

Cinematographers

Military

Musicians

Athletics

Archery

Boxing
  • Shiva Thapa - Boxer (youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games)

Cricket

Football

Hockey
  • Bharat Chettri – Hockey player (former captain of Indian hockey team)

Shooting

Writers

Politicians

Others

See also

References
  1. India and Nepal. Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Signed at Kathmandu, on 31 July 1950. untreaty.un.org
  2. "Gorkhaland: Gazette Notification on the Issue of Citizenship of Gorkhas". Gorkhaland. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  3. rajbhasha.gov.in/en/languages-included-eighth-schedule-indian-constitution
  4. Barun Roy (2012). Gorkhas and Gorkhaland. Darjeeling, India: Parbati Roy Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 January 2013.
  5. "ABSTRACT OF SPEAKERS' STRENGTH OF LANGUAGES AND MOTHER TONGUES - 2011" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  6. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Part-A.pdf
  7. http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Part-B.pdf
  8. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/43386/8/08_chapter%202.pdf
  9. http://amanpanchayat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PEI_meghalaya.pdf
  10. Karmakar, Rahul (18 November 2018). "Temples inspired by churches in Mizoram". The Hindu.
  11. dbuniversity.ac.in/location/sikkim.html
  12. "Demography". sikenvis.nic.in.
  13. indiatoday.in/amp/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/mini-sikkim-in-making-308081-2016-02-10
  14. thewire.in/article/politics/watch-sikkim-simultaneous-elections-and-the-battle-over-the-17th-karmapa/amp
  15. indianexpress.com/article/research/mamata-banerjee-darjeeling-violence-tracing-the-history-of-gorkhaland-movement-another-crisis-triggered-by-language/lite/
  16. Samāddāra, Raṇabīra (2007). The Materiality of Politics: The technologies of rule. ISBN 9781843312512.
  17. "Nepalis in Meghalaya face tribal wrath amid official apathy".
  18. "Khasi Nepali Ethnic Conflict in Meghalaya, India". 8 June 2010.
  19. Lulla, Anil Budur (17 June 2007). "Gurkha Ganesh blazes new trail". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  20. [thehindu.com/news/national/pawan-kumar-chamling-becomes-longest-serving-chief-minister-surpassing-jyoti-basus-record/article23720589.ece/amp/ "Pawan Kumar Chamling crosses Jyoti Basu's record as longest-serving Chief Minister"] Check |url= value (help). The Hindu. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
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