Gorkha Ethnicity: Cultural Revolution and the Issue of Gorkhaland

As is well known all over the world that India is a land of unity in diversity - often it is boasted. Rightfully, India is a multi-ethnic, multi¬cultural and multi-lingual area. The society in the area is made up of various elements drawn from diverse origin. The social diversity is perhaps the most powerful materialization of the area. The social groups with diverse ethnic and linguistic origins representing several racial stocks and social status have found places for themselves at various points of time adapting themselves to several ecological niches offered by the Physiographic and climatic setting of the area. The waves of in-migration have drawn the ancestors of the majority of the present population of the area from the surrounding territories and across the Himalayas. Their dissemination has ensued in a creation of a social mosaic with ethnic disparateness. With such diversity in the area in terms of ethnicity, culture and language, the region is made up of groups and sub groups with varied and diverse demands and needs. The chief responsibility of the State as an agent of development and planning is, thus, to take heed of the diverse demands of social groups, not only of the majority social groups but also the groups in minority, residing within the length and breadth of its territory. It is argued that ethnic expressions are in one way or the other related to development schemes adopted by a State and therefore the failure and disparity in development strategies makes the association with the State less worthy and generates a multiplicity of different cultural expressions.