Madan Tamang
Encyclopedia
Madan Tamang was an India
n politician
of Nepali
descent, a Gorkha
leader, and the president of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League
(ABGL), a moderate
faction of the Gorkhaland
movement. Opposed to violent methods for the process, he stood for a negotiated settlement to the Gorkhaland dispute.
He was stabbed to death allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
(GJM) supporters on May 21, 2010 in Darjeeling, which led to a spontaneous shutdown in the three Darjeeling hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong
.
village in Darjeeling district
. He studied at St Robert’s School in Darjeeling and then completed his bachelors degree in humanities from St Joseph’s College
at North Point in Darjeeling. He was married to Bharati Tamang. Madan Tamang entered the tea business by establishing a tea estate in his ancestral land around Meghma on the Indo-Nepal border.
(ABGL), and became well known for his oratory skills. Eventually, he became the District Secretary of the Gorkha League in 1977, though he resigned in 1980 to join a new outfit, Pranta Parishad, where he worked closely with Subhash Ghisingh
for some time till Ghisingh started Gorkha National Liberation Front
(GNLF) in 1980 and demanded the state of Gorkhaland. Meanwhile, the Pranta Parishad along with organizations like the Nepali Bhasa Manyata Samiti started a campaign to include the Nepali language
in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and also turned an important rival of Ghisingh. Between 1986 and 1988, he openly criticized Ghisingh for corruption and use of violence for which his ancestral house at Meghma
near Sandakphu was torched.
After lying low for some time, in 1992, Tamang started the Gorkha Democratic Front (GDF) to counter GNLF's opposition of the inclusion of the Nepali language in the Constitution because it wanted Gorkhali
instead. In 2001, the GDF merged with ABGL, and Madan Tamang became the president of ABGL.
After the downfall of Subhash Ghisingh and GNLF and the rise of a new party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
(GJM) headed by Bimal Gurung
in the Darjeeling hills, Madan Tamang became a vocal opponent of the GJM and levelled corruption charges against Bimal Gurung and other GJM leaders. ABGL set up an alliance of eight parties called Democratic Front along with Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) and Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists
(CPRM) to fight for democracy in the hills through peaceful means and to oppose the willingness of GJM to accept an interim setup in place of a full-fledged state, originally demanded by the Gorkhaland movement leaders.
, when some 150 armed assailants stormed the venue. While some attackers started throwing stones at the people gathered at the venue, three men attacked Tamang directly and hacked him with khukris, a Nepali knife. After being critically injured, he was rushed to the Darjeeling District Hospital were he soon died. Few days later on May 25, hundreds of mourners joined his funeral procession after which his body was taken to his native village of Meghma for the last rites. Later, his wife Bharati Tamang was elected as the president of ABGL.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of Nepali
Nepali people
Nepali people can refer to:*People of Nepal*Ethnic Nepalis of Indian citizenry residing in Gorkhaland area of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and other parts of India.* Indian Gorkhas*Lhotshampas of Bhutan.*Nepali diaspora the world over....
descent, a Gorkha
Indian Gorkha
Indian Gorkha is a term used to describe the Nepali/Gorkhali-speaking citizens of India. This term tries to make a distinction between the citizens of Nepal and the Indian citizens of Gorkha ethnic group....
leader, and the president of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League
Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League
Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking population in Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. The party was founded in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung. The current president is Bharati Tamang, widow of late Madan Tamang, a former president of ABGL...
(ABGL), a moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
faction of the Gorkhaland
Gorkhaland
Gorkhaland is the name of the proposed state in India demanded by the Nepali/Gorkhali-speaking Nepali/Gorkha ethnic group in Darjeeling and the Dooars in north West Bengal....
movement. Opposed to violent methods for the process, he stood for a negotiated settlement to the Gorkhaland dispute.
He was stabbed to death allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is a registered political party which campaigns for the creation of a separate state within India, out of districts in the north of West Bengal...
(GJM) supporters on May 21, 2010 in Darjeeling, which led to a spontaneous shutdown in the three Darjeeling hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong
Kurseong
Kurseong is a hill station situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.Located at an altitude of 1458 metres , Kurseong is just 30 km from Darjeeling...
.
Personal life
Madan Tamang was born on 1 June 1948 to Manbahadur Tamang and Lima Tamang at MeghmaMeghma
Meghma is a small hamlet inside the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling subdivision, Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India near the India - Nepal border, and lies on the Sandakphu trek.-Tourism:...
village in Darjeeling district
Darjeeling district
Darjeeling District is the northernmost district of the state of West Bengal in eastern India in the foothills of the Himalayas. The district is famous for its beautiful hill stations and Darjeeling tea. Darjeeling is the district headquarters...
. He studied at St Robert’s School in Darjeeling and then completed his bachelors degree in humanities from St Joseph’s College
St Joseph's College, Darjeeling
St Joseph's College is a government-aided, Christian minority, co-educational college in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. The college campus is located about 3 km north from downtown Darjeeling. The college was established in 1888 along with the School Department and was affiliated to Calcutta...
at North Point in Darjeeling. He was married to Bharati Tamang. Madan Tamang entered the tea business by establishing a tea estate in his ancestral land around Meghma on the Indo-Nepal border.
Political career
Madan Tamang entered politics in 1969 while still in college when he became a close associate of the noted ABGL leader of the time, Deo Prakash Rai. Through the 1970s, he headed Tarun Gorkha, the youth wing of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha LeagueAkhil Bharatiya Gorkha League
Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking population in Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. The party was founded in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung. The current president is Bharati Tamang, widow of late Madan Tamang, a former president of ABGL...
(ABGL), and became well known for his oratory skills. Eventually, he became the District Secretary of the Gorkha League in 1977, though he resigned in 1980 to join a new outfit, Pranta Parishad, where he worked closely with Subhash Ghisingh
Subhash Ghisingh
Subhash Ghisingh is the leader of Gorkhaland National Liberation Front which he founded in 1980. He was the chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in West Bengal, India from 1988 to 2008...
for some time till Ghisingh started Gorkha National Liberation Front
Gorkha National Liberation Front
Gorkha National Liberation Front is a political party in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India...
(GNLF) in 1980 and demanded the state of Gorkhaland. Meanwhile, the Pranta Parishad along with organizations like the Nepali Bhasa Manyata Samiti started a campaign to include the Nepali language
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and also turned an important rival of Ghisingh. Between 1986 and 1988, he openly criticized Ghisingh for corruption and use of violence for which his ancestral house at Meghma
Meghma
Meghma is a small hamlet inside the Singalila National Park in the Darjeeling subdivision, Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal in India near the India - Nepal border, and lies on the Sandakphu trek.-Tourism:...
near Sandakphu was torched.
After lying low for some time, in 1992, Tamang started the Gorkha Democratic Front (GDF) to counter GNLF's opposition of the inclusion of the Nepali language in the Constitution because it wanted Gorkhali
Gorkhali
Gorkhali was a Nepali language weekly newspaper published from Varanasi, India. It began its publication in 1919. Devi Prasad Sapkota was the editor of the newspaper....
instead. In 2001, the GDF merged with ABGL, and Madan Tamang became the president of ABGL.
After the downfall of Subhash Ghisingh and GNLF and the rise of a new party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is a registered political party which campaigns for the creation of a separate state within India, out of districts in the north of West Bengal...
(GJM) headed by Bimal Gurung
Bimal Gurung
Bimal Gurung is the leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha , a party that is demanding the formation of a Gorkhaland state in India.-DGHC:...
in the Darjeeling hills, Madan Tamang became a vocal opponent of the GJM and levelled corruption charges against Bimal Gurung and other GJM leaders. ABGL set up an alliance of eight parties called Democratic Front along with Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) and Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists
Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists
Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists is a political party based in the Darjeeling District of the Indian state of West Bengal. CPRM was formed in 1996 by Communist Party of India dissidents like former State Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Tamang Dawa Lama, Lok Sabha MP R.B...
(CPRM) to fight for democracy in the hills through peaceful means and to oppose the willingness of GJM to accept an interim setup in place of a full-fledged state, originally demanded by the Gorkhaland movement leaders.
Death
On May 21, 2010, at around 9.30 am, Madan Tamang was supervising arrangements for a meeting scheduled for later in the day near Planters Club, Darjeeling to celebrate the 68th Foundation Day of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha LeagueAkhil Bharatiya Gorkha League
Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League is a political party working amongst the Nepali-speaking population in Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India. The party was founded in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung. The current president is Bharati Tamang, widow of late Madan Tamang, a former president of ABGL...
, when some 150 armed assailants stormed the venue. While some attackers started throwing stones at the people gathered at the venue, three men attacked Tamang directly and hacked him with khukris, a Nepali knife. After being critically injured, he was rushed to the Darjeeling District Hospital were he soon died. Few days later on May 25, hundreds of mourners joined his funeral procession after which his body was taken to his native village of Meghma for the last rites. Later, his wife Bharati Tamang was elected as the president of ABGL.