Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) MLA from Darjeeling Neeraj Tamang Zimba on Tuesday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting to confer Padma Awards on Gorkha Leader Subash Ghisingh for "bringing political consciousness and national identity among Gorkhas."
"Subash Ghisingh fondly referred to as Appa (Father) is credited with bringing political consciousness and a sense of national identity to the Indian Gorkha Community. He was a pioneer in integrating the Indian Gorkha Community with the national mainstream," read Neeraj Tamang Zimba's letter to Home Minister.
"Subash Ghisingh is well-known for his social, political and literary contribution to spreading the message of national integration and patriotism among the Gorkha community," Neeraj Tamang writes further.
"In the 1980s he spearheaded the movement demanding the formation of Gorkhaland a separate state for the Gorkhas within the Indian Union in the best national interest of the nation," the letter read.
Besides Subash Ghisingh's contribution to the political and identity issues of the Indian community, he wrote over 20 books.
"Through his writings, he instilled a strong sense of nationalism among the Gorkha people. His works not only mirror the society of the time but also act as a compass and help in navigating the society towards better future," read the letter.
MLA from Darjeeling Neeraj Tamang Zimba said that the Padma Award will give Subash Ghisingh the due and much-deserved recognition.
The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) was established in 1980 by Ghising, a former soldier with the Gorkha Rifles who later became a teacher. In order to violently carve a separate Gorkhaland out of Bengal, he headed the GNLF, which resulted in the carnage in the Darjeeling Hills between 1986 and 1988.
Subash Ghisingh, a proponent of Gorkhaland and former uncrowned king of Darjeeling, died on January 29 in the national capital, distant from his beloved Darjeeling Hills.
( With inputs from ANI )
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