Assam Gorkha organizations slam Minister Atul Bora’s speech on ‘Lumpi people’ in Assembly

Assam Gorkha organizations such as Kamrup Zilla Gorkha Kalyan Samiti and Gorkha Students' Union (GSU), Lumpi regional Unit have slammed Minister Atul Bora for saying that Lumpi people want to be part of Meghalaya in the Autumn Session recently.

It is to be mentioned that Minister Atul Bora is also the chairman of the cabinet sub-committee for the long-pending inter-state border dispute solution. 

On September 16, both members of the organizations organized a "Press Meet" at Rabha Hasong Tourist Bungalow at Boko and asked Atul Bora when they came to Lumpi to take Lumpi people's opinion on which state they would support. 

‘’Minister Atul Bora and other members of the sub-committee visited some villages on November 12, 2021, along the Assam-Meghalaya border, which were Upper Tarabari and Gamerimura, which are 35-40 kilometers from the Lumpi area, but Minister Atul Bora said that Lumpi people want to be part of the state of Meghalaya,’’ both organization’s members alleged that 

Dulal Rana, President of Kamrup Zilla Gorkha Kalyan Samiti said, "Most of the people living in Lumpi areas belong to the Gorkha community, and the Gorkha community never wants to be part of Meghalaya, as we have proof that the Gorkha community supports Assam state even after very less development in the area by the Assam state government’’. 

‘’But we are shocked that our minister, Atul Bora, said in his speech that Lumpi's people want to be part of Meghalaya," Rana added.

"Our many Gorkha organizations recently met Atul Bora on September 10th, 2022, and we clearly gave our opinion that people of the Lumpi area always support Assam and we will live in Assam. So now we request the minister, Atul Bora, and the cabinet sub-committee to visit the Lumpi area and take public opinion so that everyone will understand the verdict of the people of the Lumpi area, " Rana said during the press meet. 

Sambhu Chetry, Secretary of GSU, Lumpi regional unit, said, "We people living in the Lumpi area never accept that we want to be part of Meghalaya. We Gorkha people live together with the Garo and Khasi communities, where the Garo community in the Lumpi area also shouts that they are staying in Assam. The state government might be trying to play politics with us, but we Gorkha people know how to protect our land and we will never accept it. "

Bikash Chetry, President, GSU Lumpi regional Unit, said, "Lumpi area might be a border dispute, but Lumpi has lots of tourist potential as it is also a part of Assam state. Lumpi has schools that are run by British time. If the Assam government hands over Lumpi to Meghalaya, we Gorkha people will not sit peacefully. Minister Atul Bora should give his clarification when people of the Lumpi area are told that they want to be part of Meghalaya."