OPINION: The Real Foreigners of Darjeeling
Posted by Barun Roy on February 15th, 2012
THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]
BY CVG
Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 5
Demography of Darjeeling Terai at the end of 19th Century Highlighting, historical settlement and population characteristics in Darjeeling Terai and its adjoining Dooars is one of the most critical tools for the Gorkhas today to deconstruct the ‘Foreigner Theory’. The Darjeeling Terai Settlement Report sheds enough light on the presence of sizeable percentage of the Gorkhas, Lepchas and Bhutias across Darjeeling Terai at the end of 19th Century. To the aversion of the Bengalis, the report also highlights that there was not a single Bengali soul inhabiting the soils of Darjeeling Terai at the same period of time, not to talk of Darjeeling Hills. Table 2 and 3 highlight basic demographic features of Darjeeling Terai in the second half of 19th century.
Table 2: Darjeeling Terai Population: 1872-91
Source of Information - Total Population- Male – Female – Area in square mile
Census taken in 1872 – 47985 – 25682 – 22303 – 271
Census taken in 1881 – 63241 – 35410 – 27831 – do
Census taken in 1891 – 72097 – 41808 – 31120 – do
Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement,
Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 7
Table 3: Demographic Characters of Darjeeling Terai: 1872-91
Census Year – Sex Ration [females/1000 males) - Population Density [per sq
mile]
1872 – 868 – 177
1881 – 786 – 233
1891 – 744 – 266
Source: Calculated by author based on the data available in – Sasi
Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat
Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 7
If we dissect and examine table 4 and 5, it is quite interesting to note that at the end of 19th Century there was not a single Bengali inhabiting the geographical milieu of Terai in Darjeeling District. On the contrary, however, almost 27 per cent of the total populations of Darjeeling Terai were shared by the Gorkhas/Nepali Speakers at the same period of time. Similarly, the share of Lepchas and Bhutias residing in the region at the end of 19th century can be calculated at 3 per cent and 1 per cent of the total population respectively.
Further, about 70 per cent of the total populations of the area were composed of different ethnic groups consisting of Adibasis of the region.
Table 4 Darjeeling Terai Population and Caste distribution: 1891
Caste Male Female Total
1. Bhuimali and Mehter 539 540 1079
2. Bhutia 292 130 422
3. Brahman 500 130 630
4. Damai 75 33 108
5. Gharti 126 103 229
6. Gurung 981 935 1916
7. Kaibarta 194 135 329
8. Kami 373 257 630
9. Khambu 1314 1459 2773
10. Kachh 6119 5014 11133
11. Lepcha 592 532 1124
12. Limboo 416 108 524
13. Mangar 832 514 1346
14. Munda 129 126 255
15. Murmi 500 502 1002
16. Newar 318 189 507
17. Oraon 2360 2272 4632
18. Rajput 366 143 509
19. Sarki 109 42 151
20. Sunur 67 34 101
21. Yakha 33 21 54
22. Buna 644 626 1270
23. Shaik 4002 2299 6301
Source: Sasi Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement,
Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 8
Table 5 Percentage share of Different Ethnic Groups in Darjeeling
Terai: 1891
Ethnic Group Percentage Share
Lepcha 3.0
Bhutia 1.1
Nepali/Gorkha 26.9
Bengali 0.0
Others 68.9
Total 100.0
Source: Calculated by author based on the data available in- Sasi
Bhusan Dutt, Report on Darjeeling Terai Settlement, Bengal Secretariat
Press, Calcutta, 1898, P. 8
February 21st, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Very Interesting!!
Wonder what the bengalis have to say now??
Some increase in population huh????
February 23rd, 2012 at 10:27 am
The report is very interesting and informative.
Wonder what happened to the numbers of Mangar and Murmi though in Table 4.
In Table 5 the % share of different ethnic groups in Darjeeling shows Bengali 0.0%!
February 28th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
where is Marcus???? guyz can u see hee anywhere???
February 28th, 2012 at 3:57 pm
All around you dumbhead see the population charts nepali dear
February 28th, 2012 at 7:51 pm
Bongo Bondhu what do you have to say about this? Out of different ethnic groups in Darjeeling it shows number of Bengali at 0.0%.Bengalis, the real foreigners of Darjeeling.
February 29th, 2012 at 10:35 am
Hillyfolk,
Bongo Bondhu is a loser by default, he is simply waitin to hit u from ur back ( his signature style of confronting anyone)
February 29th, 2012 at 11:26 am
Marcus
The population chart for Nepali is 26.9% which is quite substantial……..do u mean that 26.9% is not an enough evidence for u to believe that Nepalis are not outsiders??? If thats the case than what do u have to say about Lepchas & Bhutias who constitute 3% & 1.1% ?? going by your wise theory I must assume that they are aliens…..So what about ur community which constitute 0% ??………do we have any word in the dictionary???
February 29th, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Lepcha bhutia are local to this place, outsiders are nepalis -go home.
March 1st, 2012 at 10:26 am
wat about Bengalis????? wat r they???? hhhahhahahahhahhhaahhahahahahahahhahhhhhh
March 1st, 2012 at 10:28 am
by the way dont be too sympathetic towards Lepchas & Bhutias……they too hate you…..Darjeeling & Sikkim Hates you….
March 3rd, 2012 at 1:05 am
The author is undoubtedly biased and his calculation is wrong. This article has been written with a malicious intent just to show that bengalis did not inhabit the hills at that point of time. Why this tirade against bengalis? Isn’t this ethnic discrimination?
I can sow with similar data that at that point of time no nepalis, tibetans, lepchas were found in any where in the rest of India. Does this mean they have no right to be there?
I think the site administrators should take care not to print articles which are biased against particular communities, as it may send a very wrong message.
Regs.
March 3rd, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Satarupa…..
First ask your bengali brothers & sisters who start the fight by accusing us openly by calling us foreigners & illegal immegrants every time any article favouring the hills are posted…….the tirade is not against Bengalis my dear but it is & has always been against the hill people. we people read the articles & mind our own business until some friends of yours come & start accusing us & thats when the fight starts.
“I can sow similar data that………………………………………..Does this mean they have no right to be there?”
This question will be answered in a better way by your bengali bondhus, not us…..please go through the article ‘Roshni runs for her pride’ for example out of many, go through the stream of comments out there, see how our dear friend Marcus has accused me & the hill people……pose your questions & concerns to people like him first then u can happily come to us. As far as my case is concerned,I really don’t care where the bengalis came from, I really dont…
March 4th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Once the guilty is caught he is silenced, till then he keeps on wining & barking…..pathetic loosers….I really wish these people had the guts to show their faces to us…..
March 5th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
the article is not biased nor is it fake..it has been taken from the Bengal Secretariat (page numbers have been provided)..please go and check..must have been some Bengali who made it…
March 7th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Dear CVG,
There are lots of places in West Bengal, Assam and other parts of India where there is not a single local soul residing but plenty of foreigners/illegal immigrants from neighboring countries. Just because there are zero locals and millions of illegal squatters does the land belongs automatically to the squatters and the country to which they belong?
PLEASE GIVE THE NUMBER OF NEPALIS IN DARJEELING AT THE BEGINNING OF 19TH CENTURY AND YOU WILL FIND THE NUMBER IS ZERO. So how did their numbers swell in such short time? Well, the British brought Nepalese as TEMPORARY CONTRACT LABORERS FROM NEPAL UNDER THE CONDITION THAT THEY WILL RETURN BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY NEPAL ONCE THEIR CONTRACT IS OVER. VERY SIMILAR TO INDIAN LABORERS TO GULF COUNTRIES. CAN WE INDIANS CLAIM DUBAI AS INDIAN TERRITORY JUST BECOZ INDIANS FAR OUTSTRIP THE ARABS IN THAT COUNTRY?
HENCE, THE NEPALESE OF DARJEELING WEREN’T CONSIDERED SUBJECTS OF INDIA OR THE CROWN AS LONG AS BRITISH RULED INDIA. 1950 INDIA ENTERED INTO TREATY WITH NEPAL WHERE CITIZENSHIP WAS GRANTED TO ONLY THOSE WHO WERE RESIDING IN INDIA PRIOR TO 1945. ALMOST 90% OF NEPALESE IN DARJEELING HAVE BEEN LIVING IN INDIA POST 1945. IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARE CITIZENS OF NEPAL AKA FOREIGNERS.
March 7th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Bloggers who are crowing to the fact that there are 0 Bengalis forget that SASI BHUSHAN the author of that report is himself a Bengali and the report was published from Calcutta not Kathmandu. The report also mentions Bhutias, Mundas, Rajputs, Brahmins, Oraons who are all from Bihar and Jharkhand. At least these people are Indians, can we say the same about rest of the people mentioned in the report???tsk tsk….
March 7th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Satarupa,
Foreigners have no right to be in India. It is due to self defeating policies of India that things have come to such a pass.
March 7th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
#9. Wot bout Bengalis? Buddy we own your a$$. At least Tibetans and Bhutias know that but you Nepalese have simply too thick a skull to realize this fact untill it is too late.
March 7th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Kirat you are “hill people” of Nepal living in the “hills” of West Bengal, India due to our charity.
March 7th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Marcus moron stuff rotten fish hilsa through your orifices.
March 8th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Marcus budhead..the report was made sometime in 1898…don’t you know 1812 was before 1947..
For your first paragraph-> Does that include WB as well?
For your second paragraph->The numbers are there in the report. Read it propoerly shit head
For your third paragraph->1898 was before 1945
Yes the report must have been made by a Bengali, CVG must have put it so that you know the source and go and check it for yourself. Also, coming from a fellow Bengali, might have convinced you more. You guys have that affect now don’t you?
Bhutia and Tibetians hehehe..they are same..I am one myself and shit face you don’t own our shit.
Marcus I wish i could meet you in person
March 9th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Marcus my name is Kirat Haang & let me tell you( coz u know nothing) that Darjeeling & Sikkim historically has been places which were inhabited by us…we are amongst the earliest of aboroginies who inhabited these places along with the Lepchas & Bhutias….the word Sikkim is derived from my dialect ‘Su-Khim’ meaning new home & Darjeeling form ‘Taaji-Lung’, …there are thousands of such facts to astound you……..if this fact irritates you more,….go on ….Bark bark & bark…..
Dorjey,
Marcus I wish I could meet you in person
I wish too but this is never gonna happen brodr, coz marcus belongs to that breed of cowards who throw bricks & empty bottles at people from a hidden places