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 the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. It was started in 1980 by Subhash Ghisingh. The party's main goal was to create a separate state called Gorkhaland within India.

Why Gorkhaland?

A Unique Identity

Many people in the Darjeeling region who are called Gorkhas felt different from others in West Bengal. This was because of their unique culture and history. The Gorkhas have roots in Gorkhali history. The Darjeeling area was seen as a very important place for all Indian Gorkhas.

Language and Culture

Language was a big difference. About 90 percent of the people in the Darjeeling hills speak Nepali. The Nepali spoken there is special. It mixes different "Gorkhali" dialects. The British also helped make the Gorkhas feel like a distinct group. They did this through their military policies. Over time, this made their sense of identity even stronger.

Economic Challenges

Another reason for wanting a separate Gorkhaland was money problems. The Indian government faced challenges in managing resources in Darjeeling after colonial rule. Even though the area had valuable resources like tea, wood, and tourism, there were long periods of economic hardship. These money problems, combined with strong cultural identity, made the region ready for change.

The GNLF's Campaign

In the 1980s, the GNLF led a strong campaign. They wanted a separate Gorkhaland state. This state would be in the Nepali-speaking areas of northern West Bengal. These areas included Darjeeling, Dooars, and Terai. The movement was very active around 1985–1986.

On August 22, 1988, the GNLF, led by Subhash Ghisingh, 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 asking for a separate Gorkhaland state.

GNLF in Elections

State Assembly Elections

The GNLF did not take part in the West Bengal state assembly elections in 1991. In the assembly elections held in 1996, 2001, and 2006, 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) elections. He was a journalist and a friend of Subhash Ghisingh. The GNLF also supported Inderjeet in 1991 when he ran as a candidate for the Indian National Congress. He won that election with GNLF's help.

The GNLF did not take part in the Lok Sabha elections in 1996, 1998, and 1999. In those years, candidates from the CPI(M) party won. Before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the GNLF supported Dawa Narbula, a Congress party candidate. He won the Darjeeling seat by a large number of votes. In the 2009 elections, the GNLF was not as strong. They did not put forward any candidate or support any party. The Lok Sabha seat was won by Jaswant Singh of the BJP, with support from GJMM.

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 for the council.

Changes and Challenges

Sixth Schedule Plan

On December 6, 2005, an agreement was signed. It was between the Central Government, the State Government, and the GNLF. This agreement was for setting up a special tribal council. It would be called the Gorkha Hill Council in the DGHC area. This council would be under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. At first, there was some support for this plan. However, many people later opposed it. Leaders like Madan Tamang of ABGL led this opposition.

GNLF's Decline

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. He was to stay in charge until the Sixth Schedule council was created.

Former members of the DGHC became unhappy. Among them was Bimal Gurung, who used to be a close helper of Ghisingh. Bimal decided to leave the GNLF. He gained a lot of public support by backing Prashant Tamang, a contestant from Darjeeling on the TV show Indian Idol. Bimal quickly used this support to take power from Ghisingh. Ghisingh then moved 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, GNLF chief Subhash Ghisingh announced his party would run in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections in 2011. Subhash Ghisingh returned to Darjeeling on April 8, 2011. This was before the assembly elections, after three years away. All three GNLF candidates lost the elections held on April 18, 2011. These candidates were Bhim Subba from Darjeeling, Prakash Dahal from Kalimpong, and Pemu Chettri from Kurseong.

A Separate Group

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (C.K. Pradhan), or GNLF(C), is a group that broke away from the main Gorkha National Liberation Front. This happened in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. GNLF(C) was formed in 2002 after the death of GNLF leader C.K. Pradhan.

Pradhan's wife, Sheila Pradhan, said he was killed by the GNLF. She claimed he was about to leave the main party. After his death, Sheila and others started GNLF(C). The party is led by (Retd) Col. D.K. Pradhan of Kalimpong. He is C.K. Pradhan's brother. GNLF(C) was part of the Democratic Front. This was a group of parties like CPRM and ABGL in the Darjeeling area. It is also a member of the Gorkhaland Task Force. This group of political parties and social organizations works to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland.