26/11/2025
𝐂𝐏𝐈’𝐬 ‘𝐆𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧’ 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟕–𝟒𝟖 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐣𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥.
-𝑴𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒚
Darjeeling: Newly examined intelligence reports from 1947–48 file no 117(2)C.A(Secret) which was supposed to be destroyed after 1957 from the Ministry of external Affairs and Commonwealth Relation with the subject Gurkha Movement in Darjeeling District between the Ministry of Homes Affairs, External Affairs, Commonwealth Relation, Defence and Intelligence Beaure reveal that the Communist Party of India (CPI) played a central role in promoting the idea of “Gurkhalistan”(Gorkahland in present day), a political move that sparked unrest and overshadowed Darjeeling’s constitutional concerns in the immediate aftermath of India’s Independence.
According to a Secret Intelligence Report DCIO, Murshidabad, and a Special Intelligence Report of the Army’s Eastern Command both of the same time January 1948, certain European residents of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri were quietly encouraging political agitation among the Gurkha population. The reports state that these groups extended “secret support” to the All India Gorkha League (AIGL), as noted by Deputy Director Waryam Singh.
𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐏𝐈 𝐈𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
The reports indicate that before the formation of the Nepali National Congress in Calcutta, key AIGL members were already collaborating with the CPI, especially on labour issues in the hill regions. The rise of the Nepali National Congress led to friction between the Socialist Party of India (SPI) and CPI, prompting the CPI to revive the declining AIGL to counter the Socialist influence.
The CPI subsequently won seats from the tea garden constituencies of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. Meanwhile, the SPI, under the direct guidance of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, began organising Gurkhas and other hill communities with an agenda focused on improving living standards and integrating the hill population firmly with the Indian Union.
The Nepali National Congress worked closely with SPI in supporting the Satyagraha movement in Nepal, further strengthening its base in the hills.
𝐂𝐏𝐈 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐆𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧’ 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚
As influence shifted, SPI attempted to unify the AIGL and the Nepali National Congress on political and labour fronts. Their efforts, however, were disrupted by the CPI, which had gained newfound strength through its MLA Ratanlal Brahman.
The CPI expanded its reach by taking control of the Bengal–Assam–Darjeeling Railway and major tea garden labour unions. It established powerful committees in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri—referred to as “Rest Camps”—which became strongholds of CPI activity, particularly in Kalimpong.
Amid rising propaganda battles, the CPI introduced the provocative slogan of forming “Gurkhalistan”, an independent state consisting of Nepal, Sikkim, large parts of Darjeeling, and portions of Jalpaiguri. A memorandum advocating this was submitted to the Constituent Assembly, reportedly to generate hostility against the SPI among Gurkhas. Dr. Lohia himself was heckled at a Darjeeling public meeting by CPI and AIGL members.
𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐯 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐢’𝐬 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭
Decades later, during a Parliamentary statement in November 1987, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi sharply criticised the CPI and CPM for “encouraging separatist sentiments” in Darjeeling. He referred to the 1947 memorandum submitted by Ratanlal Brahman and G.L. S***a, arguing that the Left’s historical actions had contributed to the present turmoil and they are blaming the centre for not taking appropriate measure for the regional autonomy.
𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐢 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜
The intelligence records also show that the CPI most of the members are Bengalis and AIGL actively campaigned to foster antagonism among hill communities against people from the plains. AIGL leader and MLA Damber Singh Gurung reportedly played a lead role, supported directly by Communist cadres.
In response, the Nepali National Congress (also called the Gurkha Congress of Darjeeling) sought to maintain communal harmony by appealing to Bengalis, Marwaris, Biharis, Muslims, and others living in the hills to reject such divisive propaganda.
AIGL retaliated with warnings that any “anti-Gorkha League activity” by non-hill residents would not be tolerated, declaring that hill communities formed 90% of Darjeeling’s population.
Officials noted that the anti-Bengali and anti-Marwari sentiments emerging in Kalimpong were more political than communal, driven largely by the CPI-AIGL alliance.
𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
CPI later claimed through its publication Swadhinata that bitterness among hill communities was caused by the liquidation of Kuver & Dass Bank and the actions of tea garden owners. CPI accused AIGL of wanting Darjeeling merged with Assam or Nepal and also blamed the League for disrupting a peace meeting by MLA Ratanlal Brahman.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬
As tensions escalated, the government considered deploying non-Gurkha troops to restore order. The reports reveal concerns that multiple foreign powers viewed Darjeeling as a “rich prize,” given its strategic significance.
The AIGL had issued repeated ultimatums advocating the inclusion of Darjeeling into Nepal, reportedly receiving support from Nepal. At the same time, the Sikkim Darbar submitted a memorandum seeking the retrocession of Darjeeling, which had been ceded to the British nearly a century earlier.
