Gorkha Autonomous Council demands state government to declare Gorkhas as an indigenous community of Assam

Gorkha Autonomous Council Demand Committee’s (GACDC) chairperson Harka Bahadur Chetry stated that historical, mythological conclusions and anthropological studies have proven Gorkhas to be not just indigenous but also aborigines of the Himalayan mountain range and are progenies of an aboriginal community. 

"The Government of Assam should soon declare Gorkhas as the indigenous community of Assam through gazette notification and create Gorkha Autonomous Council (GAC) for overall constitutional security and prosperity," he stated this recently at Dibrugarh airport on his arrival from New Delhi after receiving the prestigious ‘Pillar of Society’ international award conferred by an INGO working in the field of social justice domain.
 
Chetry received the ‘Pillar of Society’ international award for the 2021-22 session, which was conferred on August 20, 2022, at the Constitution Club of India, Sansad Marg in New Delhi by Social Justice for International Civil Rights Council (SJFICRC) for being a crusader for Gorkha community’s human and constitutional rights and in social justice domain. 

Chetry was decorated with an award certificate, citation, and a name-inscribed medal by SJFICRC International President G Vanneri, India President Md. Shanon Shaikh and Founder Director Dr. Diwas Lama and Sabita Gurung. Chetry thanked the organization for nominating him for the recognition and expressed gratitude to jury members for deeming him fit for the prestigious award. 

Chetry dedicated this award to the first martyr of the Gorkha Autonomous Council (GAC) Shaheed Birbol Limbu of Golaghat along with the martyrs of the Gorkha Ekta Sabha held at Sonitpur. 

He further stated that this award is not his achievement but a recognition of the struggle for indigenous community status in Assam and the Gorkha Autonomous Council (GAC) movement that was conceived in 1997 when he was the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) president. 

In 2016 while the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was being updated and Gorkhas' names were being stricken from NRC assuming them to be from neighboring nation Nepal instead of being an Original Inhabitant (OI) of Assam, Chetry undertook a 650 km Marathon March ( Long foot march from Murkungselek Jonai in Dhemaji to Dispur in Guwahati ) in seeking Assamese identity for the Gorkhas stating that Assam Accord cut off year is not applicable on Gorkhas since the community is indigenous of India and not from the specified territory i.e Bangladesh as stated in the accord.  

It was under his leadership dreamt of an autonomous council for Gorkhas when he became president of AAGSU in 1996 and resolved for constitutional safety and security of Gorkhas at its annual conference at Boginadi Higher Secondary School in North Lakhimpur in 1997 for self-determination and indigenous identity of Gorkhas in Assam. 

56 years old Chetry joined the All Assam Students Union (AASU) in 1981 and led AAGSU as president since 1996 for three consecutive terms till 2002 and has been leading GACDC for 6 consecutive terms since 2003. 

Son of freedom fighter Late Nar Bahadur Chetry, Gorkhafa, a gold medalist in Anthropology from Dibrugarh University, is one of most credible, longest serving, and active and also one of tallest leaders of Gorkhas in India from Assam.