Thursday, Jun 12, 2025 22:15 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025 16:41 [IST]
DARJEELING,: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has announced that former Kalimpong MLA Renu Leena Subba will be the first recipient of the newly instituted Subash Ghisingh Memorial Award.
The award, named in honor of the late Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) chairman Subash Ghisingh, will be presented annually on his birth anniversary, June 22. This year, the ceremony will take place at the Darjeeling Gorkha Rangmanch Bhawan.
Announcing the award at a press conference on Wednesday, GTA deputy chairman Rajesh Chauhan stated, “The initiative to launch this award was taken by GTA chief executive Anit Thapa earlier this year. With Ghisingh’s birth anniversary approaching, we felt it was the right time to begin this tradition of honoring his legacy.”
Subash Ghisingh, born on June 22, 1935, at Manju Tea Garden in Mirik, was the founder of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF). He spearheaded the separate Statehood Gorkhaland movement in the 1980s, which culminated in the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 following a tripartite agreement between the GNLF, the Bengal government, and the Central government.
Ghisingh passed away on January 28, 2015.
Speaking about the awardee, Chauhan said, “We had detailed discussions on who should be chosen for this high civilian honor. Renu Leena Subba emerged as a unanimous choice due to her significant contributions to public life. While many from the older generation recognize her as the 'Iron Lady' of the Cinchona plantation, her legacy is lesser known among the youth.”
Subba was first elected as Kalimpong MLA in 1977 on an Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League ticket and re-elected in 1982 as an independent candidate. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in the development of educational and healthcare infrastructure in the region. She also actively campaigned for the recognition of the Nepali language.
Chauhan further highlighted her contributions to women's empowerment and her involvement in the Cinchona agitation.
The award ceremony is being organized by the GTA’s Information and Culture department. “We invite everyone to participate in this event, setting aside political differences, to honor the memory of Subash Ghisingh and recognize the contributions of Renu Leena Subba,” Chauhan added.
