Indian Idol And Gorkha Nationalism

Darjeeling Singer Prashant Tamang Inspires Calls For Gorkha State

Apr 13, 2008 Ross Adkin

With his Indian Idol win of 2007, Prashant Tamang has given a new voice to the Nepali speaking people of West Bengal who are now increasingly calling for their own state.

In September 2007, Prashant Tamang from Darjeeling in West Bengal won Indian Idol, a TV show much similar to its American and UK counterparts. The contest, in its final stages was a shock to many in India as both finalists were from the Northeast of the country (the runner up, Amit Paul hails from Shillong), away from the metropolitan cities of the plains, and while Prashant's win may not have had families in Chennai and Mumbai glued to their seats, his victory was hugely celebrated in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Nepal itself, where street parties lasted well into the night in the capital, as Nepalis and Nepali speakers celebrated the success of one of their own.

Musical Success and Politics In West Bengal

Tamang's musical success may have brought with it a political awakening to the Nepali speaking people of West Bengal, long seen as belonging to the periphery sections of Indian society: "the multi-racial Nepali community had united like never before to vote for Tamang, with the marginalized Indian-Nepali community seeing an opportunity to 'prove' to the rest of the country that it did count" (Himal Southasian, Apr '08). Indeed, a radio presenter in Delhi sparked riots in Siliguri in West Bengal after making derogatory comments on Tamang's ethnicity. With this new rise of Gorkhali (a name that loosely describes inhabitants of the hills of Nepal and parts of India) nationalism, the quest for a separate state of Gorkhaland, independent of West Bengal has definitely been given a fresh impetus.

Misgovernment Under Subash Ghisingh

At the head of this, is Bimal Gurung who used his position as Chief Advisor to the influential Prashant Tamang Fan Club to speak out against Subash Ghisingh who had until recently been responsible for the administration of Darjeeling.

Under Ghisingh, traffic, pollution and water supplies in the town and surrounds had deteriorated badly as "West Bengal bartered non-intervention in lieu of a commitment...that he would not cause any trouble" (Times of India, 6th Mar '08), (i.e not putting forward demands for a Gorkha state). Meetings ceased to be held with elected bodies, budgets and development plans were non-existent and Ghisingh was in the process of trying to force a bill through Parliament that would divide the Nepali speaking community along caste lines, and so fragment calls for the creation of Gorkhaland. "The hills have been miserable for decades" according to the Times Of India.

A New Hope ? - The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

Using Tamang's victory on stage to springboard his challenge to Ghisingh, Gurung (formally a councillor from nearby Singamari-Tukvar) formed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha two weeks after Indian Idol finished, held many open air meetings, strikes and rallies around Darjeeling and later gained the support of the Darjeeling Bar Association, Hill Transport Union and ex-members of the Indian Armed Forces, prompting New Delhi to invite the Morcha for talks (www.himalmag.com) on the Gorkhaland question

Ghisingh was compelled to resign on 10th March and has not been allowed to return to Darjeeling through efforts of Morcha supporters, although there have been frequent clashes between activists of the Morcha and Ghisingh's Gorkha National Liberation Front since. For now, the bill concerning Scheduled Castes, which many were concerned would split the pro-Nepali movement, has been dropped by the government in New Delhi, and Gorkhali nationalism is once again causing problems to many a politician in Kolkata and New Delhi.

What Next?

All eyes are now on the West Bengal government in Kolkata; the GJM has asked for local elections to take place, but it may be that time is given for tourist popular Darjeeling to make improvements to its infrastructure before any new movement concerning a separate state is made.

Meanwhile, Prashant is still on leave from the Kolkata police force after having released his debut album Dhanyabad ("Thank You") and hoping to perform on further musical tours both on the Subcontinent and abroad.

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