Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal (A Sub-Himalayan Tract) Edited by Publish by Global Vision Publishing House Sukhbilas Barma Greater Kuch Bihar—A Utopian Movement? Sukhbilas Barma IT HAS happened every now and then—one movement followed by the other. This part of the country popularly known as North Bengal, inhabited by the major ethnic group of people, the Rajbanshis, has gone through different phases of various movements and mainly ethnic movements. One can be reminded of the Uttar Khanda movement, a movement of a section of the Rajbanshis led by Panchanan Mallik. The movement was basically on the socio-economic- political issues, the feeling of deprivation of the sons of the soil. This continued for some time; the Government paid some amount of attention to the problems of the region; people got swayed by the left ideologies, and the movement lost ground. Then came Kamtapuri movement in late 90’s, based on ethnic sentiments, which were related primarily to the feeling of subordination of the Rajbanshi language and culture. Based on the linguistic theory propounded by Dharmanarayan Barma, the leaders of Kamtapuri movement led by Atul Roy shook the socio-political environment of Dr. Sukhbilas Barma: A retired I.A.S Officer, Dr. Barma held important positions in the Government of west Bengal. 336 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal North Bengal vigorously. The well-off sections of the Rajbanshis have lost their lands and prestige to the non- Rajbanshis hailing from East Pakistan. The poverty stricken youths have had to leave their mother land in search of livelihood. The educated youths so limited in number have remained jobless. That they have been neglected, exploited politically and oppressed economically, has been brought forth again and again. The opinions of foreign and Bengalee Pandits about the anthropological identity and social status are considered to be imposed on them and hence not accepted by the Rajbanshis. As such their actual anthropological identity is disputed. This kind of neglecting attitude of the Bengalee intellectuals towards the language, culture, customs, manners, food habits, social rituals etc. has been brought to the forefront to influence the Rajbanshi psyche. They have even claimed that they do not belong to the Bengali race and Rajbanshi/Kamtapuri/Kamta Bihari, their spoken language is not a dialect of Bengali; rather it is a separate language. All these have been the manifestations of the grievances of the indigenous people in general. The simple illiterate poor village people have naturally been influenced by the preaching and publicity done by the leaders of such movements from time to time. Usually illiterate poor people can be easily influenced by tickling on their emotions and sentiment. The leaders have cashed on the sentiment of the sons of the soil. Good many of illiterate poor rural and semi- urban folks, particularly those who have become somewhat conscious about their rights because of education, whatever little they had but which has not fetched them any Government/semi-Government job, have joined such movements being driven partly by emotions and partly by realities of life. Greater Kuch Bihar—A Utopian Movement? 337 These movements had some amount of impact. Such titillations, however, did not have long term effect on the people in general, as they did not touch upon the basic issues and their fruitful solutions. People gradually realized the fruitless efforts and false promises of the leaders and withdrew their support. The movement ended in fiasco. The Kamtapuri movement is likely to see the same fate soon. Not getting adequate support on the issue from the major sections of the people of North Bengal, particularly Rajbanshis the movement has got a set back. The same principle of the Government in terms of some amount of repressive actions accompanied by some developmental and political activities in the area are likely to play the diffusive role in creating pressure on the movement. The Kamtapur People’s Party (KPP) is already divided into two groups – one led by Atul Ray and the other by Nikhil Ray, and is weakened to that extent. Very recently almost similar movement by the name “Greater Kuch Bihar” movement has stirred the atmosphere of the eastern part of North Bengal, particularly the district of Cooch Behar and more specifically the sub-division of Dinhata. The modus operandi of starting the movement is almost identical in this case too. The leaders have spoken highly of the glorious history of Kamrup-Kamtapur as well as the Rajbanshis, narrated the anecdotes of their social status, and glorified the peaceful happy life of the Rajbanshis during the regime of the Kamrup-Kamta Kings. Side by side, they have tried to show the oppressed and depressed conditions of the sons of the soil under the present regime. This movement also appears to have been motivated by emotions and impulses. One can have a good account of the reasons, emotions or otherwise involved in the demand of the Greater Kuch Bihar People’s Association, if their points of 338 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal submissions are analyzed and scrutinized with reference to the official records and documents. Charter of Demands of the Greater Kuch Bihar Movement Following are the demands of the Association as available from their Memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister on 18.6.2005 and their Leaflet “Dangar Kuch Bihar Basir Koyta Katha” (A few submissions of Greater Cooch Behar people). (i) The Maharaja of Cooch Behar has not, of his own, agreed to the accession of the State to the Dominion of India. (ii) In terms of the Instrument of Accession signed on 28.8.1949 and 30.8.1949 Cooch Behar State can never be merged with West Bengal. Vide D.O.No. 15(19)- P/49dt.30.8.49 of V.P. Menon, the India Government communicated its intention to administer the State centrally by a Chief Commissioner, and so merger of the State with West Bengal as District is not legally tenable. (iii) In terms of Section 7(1) of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, the British Government abolished all the agreements entered into during the period 1773 to 1902 by which the British Empire occupied the areas of present Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur and Goalpara district of Assam which constituted the territories of Greater Kuch Bihar. Greater Kuch Bihar with the above areas should thus be a legally acceptable concept. (iv) In terms of the Instrument of Accession, Cooch Behar has been a C-category State which cannot be merged with West Bengal, an A-category State by a notification under section 290A of the Government of India Act, 1935. Greater Kuch Bihar—A Utopian Movement? 339 (v) In the agreement, the Government of India has communicated that it will take no important decision without Cooch behar people’s mandate. In terms of the agreement, Government of India is promise-bound to meet the problems of Cooch Behar people. In the perspective of the above submissions, the Greater Kuch Bihar People’s Association demands implementation of the conditions of Instrument of Accession by virtue of which Cooch Behar State has remained a C-category State. The agreement contains the issues of history, tradition, language and culture of the people of Cooch Behar and the commitments about the communal harmony and rights to food and shelter, health and education of the indigenous people and as such their slogan is – ‘Kuchbiharer Bharat Bhukti Chukti Kuchbihar Basir Mukti’ (Instrument of Accession is the liberation of Cooch Behar people). Hence their immediate demand is not to force upon the people of Cooch Behar the unconstitutional and illegal election of West Bengal Assembly. In the leaflet, the Association has claimed that their demands are based on the historical documents. Let us, therefore, examine the justification or otherwise of the demands of Greater Kuch Behar People’s Association in terms of the historical facts and documents point-wise. To understand the main issues in proper perspective one should have general idea about the history of Cooch Behar, history of the Rajbanshis, their ethnic identity, culture, language, religion, belief, social custom, food habits, professional characteristics etc. I have dealt with them in brief in my article on North Bengal and its people of this book. More details on these are 340 Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal available in my book Bhawaiya –Ethnomusicological Study. It is however, relevant to mention that Cooch Behar was a Pincely State like numerous others of undivided India. Struggle for Independence Starting from the first war of Independence, popularly known as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the struggle for the Swaraj, Azadi, and Independence was long, strenuous and exerting. Founded in 1885, the Indian National Congress, initially a body of people loyal to the Imperial throne turned into a nationalist organization by the turn of the century. After the Jalianwala (1918), Gandhiji led the nationalist movement with the principle of non-violence which was further sustained by mass-awakening, social reforms, Hindu- Muslim unity, non-cooperation, satyagraha etc. The British Empire introduced constitutional reforms in 1909, 1919 and 1935 under compelling circumstances. The commitments for self-government irresistibly led to the demand for a dominion and then to the irresistible fight for independence. At each stage, the imperialists replied with repression. The events of the Second World War, pressure of the democratic international opinion and will force of the Indian people brought home to the British the conviction that a rapprochement with the Indian people could no longer be postponed, and this took shape in Cripps Proposals in 1942 under which it was stated that the British Government will enter into a treaty with a Constituent Assembly, a constitution making body for Independent India, to transfer power to the Indian people after the termination of the War.