Tamang community raise demand for development council

Kalimpong,Pradip Lohagun: Following the formation of the Lepcha Development Council, the Tamang community of the Darjeeling hills has also shown keen interest for an exclusive development council. A team of representatives from the Tamang Youth Association, the youth wing of the All India Tamang Buddhist Association, led by secretary Sanjay Moktan today met NBDD minister Gautam Deb in Kalimpong Town Hall to urge for the formation of a separate board for the Tamang community.
Notably, the association had tabled a petition to CM Mamata Banerjee last September demanding for a development council for Tamangs. After meeting Deb, who was in town to hand out compensations to Sharada chit fund scam victims, Moktan informed the media his team has requested the minister to seriously look into the demand for a Tamang Development Board as it took note of the progress made by the government on the petition submitted to the CM.
He said, “He (Deb) has assured us the government will take the matter seriously.”
Speaking about the future strategy of the association, Moktan said, “In the period between Dusshera and Diwali, a delegation will meet the chief minister to take talks forward. We are planning to organise a function after Diwali and invite the CM who will announce the formation of the board.”
The AITBA secretary said even though the Tamang community was granted tribal status in 2002, the problems being faced by the community has not been resolved and facilities are still not being availed by members.
“All-round development of the Tamang community is possible only with the formation of a development board,” he claimed, while clarifying their demand is solely for the purpose of cultural and economic development of the community.
Stating the association is not opposed to the Gorkhaland statehood demand, Moktan added, “Members of our community have supported the Gorkhaland demand extensively. Like the Lepcha community, our demand is also for preservation and development of our language and culture as also to avail of our rightful facilities from the government. When Lepchas can obtain their rights, why can’t we have ours?”
It may be mentioned here that the AITBA had condemned Sanjay Moktan for petitioning Mamata Banerjee on a Tamang Development Board when she visited Kalimpong on September 3 to attend a programme of the Lepchas.
Accusing Moktan of defaming the community, the AITBA had even expelled him from the organisation’s primary membership the very next day.
On being asked about continuing with his demand in spite of being expelled, Moktan said the town committee of the AITBA may have cancelled his primary membership, but he is still a member of the central committee. He further claimed the demand for the development board made by the Tamang Youth Association has the support of both the community and the organisation.