Gorkha National Liberation Front facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gorkha National Liberation Front
Abbreviation	GNLF
Chairperson	Mann Ghising
Secretary-General	Neeraj Zimba
Founder	Subhash Ghisingh
Founded	1980
Headquarters	Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, Darjeeling, (West Bengal)
Ideology	Gorkhaland Autonomy
Alliance	Federal Front (2019–2021) NDA (2021-present)
Elections

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) is a political party in India. It was started in 1980 by Subhash Ghisingh. The party's main goal was to create a new state called Gorkhaland. This state would be in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal.

Why the Gorkhaland Movement Started

The idea for a separate Gorkhaland state came from several reasons. Many people in the Darjeeling region felt different from the rest of West Bengal.

Cultural Differences

• People called Gurkhas felt they had a unique culture and history.
• They spoke Nepali, which was different from the main language in West Bengal.
• The British also helped create a strong sense of identity for Gorkhas. They did this through their military policies.
• The flag of the GNLF shows a traditional Gorkha sword, called the Kukri. This shows their strong connection to their heritage.

Economic Challenges

• The Darjeeling region has valuable resources like tea, wood, and tourism.
• However, after India became independent, the area faced economic problems.
• There were issues with managing resources and some corruption.
• These problems, along with cultural differences, led to a desire for change.

The Movement Grows

• In the 1980s, the GNLF led a strong movement for Gorkhaland.
• This movement was sometimes violent.
• It aimed to create a separate state in Nepali-speaking areas. These areas included Darjeeling, Dooars, and Terai.
• The movement was strongest around 1985–1986.
• On August 22, 1988, the GNLF signed an agreement. It was called the Darjeeling Hill Accord.
• This agreement created the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC).
• In return, the GNLF agreed to stop demanding a separate Gorkhaland state for a while.

GNLF in Elections

The GNLF has taken part in various elections in West Bengal and India.

State Assembly Elections

• The GNLF did not participate in the West Bengal state assembly elections in 1991.
• In the 1996, 2001, and 2006 assembly elections, the GNLF won three seats.
• They won one seat each from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong.

National Parliament Elections (Lok Sabha)

• In 1989, a GNLF candidate named Inderjeet Khuller won the Darjeeling (Lok Sabha constituency) election.
• In 1991, the GNLF supported Inderjeet Khuller again. He won the Lok Sabha election with their help.
• The GNLF did not take part in the Lok Sabha elections in 1996, 1998, and 1999.
• Before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the GNLF supported Dawa Narbula. He was a candidate for the Congress party.
• Dawa Narbula won the Darjeeling seat by a large number of votes.
• In the 2009 elections, the GNLF did not have much power. They did not put forward any candidate or support any party.
• Jaswant Singh of the BJP party won the Lok Sabha seat that year.

Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC)

• The GNLF managed the DGHC from 1988 to 2004.
• Subhash Ghisingh was the chairman of the council for three terms.
• From 2005 to 2008, Subhash Ghisingh was the only person in charge of the DGHC. This was because no new elections were held.

Sixth Schedule Proposal

• On December 6, 2005, an agreement was signed.
• It was between the Central Government, the State Government, and the GNLF.
• This agreement aimed to create a special tribal council. It would be called the Gorkha Hill Council.
• This council would be under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• However, many people opposed this idea. Leaders like Madan Tamang of ABGL led this opposition.

Changes in Leadership

• Elections for the DGHC were supposed to happen in 2004.
• But the government decided not to hold them.
• Instead, Subhash Ghisingh was made the only caretaker of the DGHC. This was until the new council could be set up.
• Many former members of the DGHC became unhappy.
• Among them was Bimal Gurung, who used to be close to Ghisingh.
• Bimal Gurung decided to leave the GNLF.
• He gained a lot of public support, especially after supporting Prashant Tamang. Prashant Tamang was a popular contestant on the TV show Indian Idol.
• Bimal Gurung quickly used this support to take power from Ghisingh.
• Ghisingh moved away to Jalpaiguri.
• The GNLF lost most of its supporters and members to a new party. This new party was called Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, led by Bimal Gurung.

West Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections 2011

• After being out of the political spotlight for three years, Subhash Ghisingh announced a comeback.
• He said his party would run in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections in 2011.
• Subhash Ghisingh returned to Darjeeling on April 8, 2011.
• However, all three GNLF candidates lost the elections.
• These candidates were Bhim Subba from Darjeeling, Prakash Dahal from Kalimpong, and Pemu Chettri from Kurseong.

Splinter Group: GNLF (C.K. Pradhan)

• A group called Gorkha National Liberation Front (C.K. Pradhan), or GNLF(C), broke away from the main GNLF party.
• This happened in 2002 after the death of GNLF leader C.K. Pradhan.
• C.K. Pradhan's widow, Sheila Pradhan, claimed he was killed. She believed he was about to leave the main party.
• After his death, Sheila and others formed GNLF(C).
• The party is led by (Retd) Col. D.K. Pradhan, C.K. Pradhan's brother.
• GNLF(C) was part of the Democratic Front. This was an alliance of parties like CPRM and ABGL.
• It is also a member of the Gorkhaland Task Force. This group works to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland.