During the ongoing winter session of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the oath-taking ceremony of six nominated members of the BTC Legislative Council was held. These members have been nominated by the Assam Government. Among the six nominated members, Nandalal Magar from the Gorkha community also formally took oath as a nominated MCLA. With this induction, many questions are now being raised inside the Gorkha community about whether this new representation will be able to address long-standing issues faced by Gorkhas in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
Soon after taking oath, Magar spoke to Northeast Scoop and shared his first thoughts regarding his priorities. He said that the first and most important subject would be the long pending identity-related concerns of the Gorkha community in the region. According to him, the community still struggles with basic identity issues and these topics need to be discussed in the Council.
Magar said that identity issues need to come to the discussion table and after that, the focus should be on community development and what kind of government programmes, schemes or funds are available for the community. He said that the Gorkha people in different areas of BTR have similar concerns and many of those concerns remain unaddressed even today. 
He pointed out that this issue is not just limited to one district or one area. He said that he belongs to Udalguri and he has seen that these issues are not only in Assam, but in different parts of the Northeast and inside BTR as well. According to him, many young people of the community still face difficulties regarding documents, land related matters, political representation and several social issues.
When asked about what specific initiatives he plans to take, he said that since this new BTC government has been in office for only a short period of around two and a half months, discussions will take place gradually. He said that earlier, the previous BTC government had initiated some work for the Gorkhas and comparatively gave some attention to the community. So the question now is whether the present government will also give similar importance and what approach it will take on the issues raised by different Gorkha organisations.
He also said that many questions remain unanswered regarding documents, land rights and administrative representation. Large sections of the community still feel they have very little representation in local administration and very little reservation in different categories.
Magar said that discussions among various organisations are needed. He stressed that organisations such as AAGSU, GDC and others should come together with their concerns and place these issues in front of the government. He mentioned that many of these organisations often come to Guwahati and they should bring these matters forward and discuss them with the authorities.
He further said that research and review are necessary to understand what kind of solutions may be possible in the present situation. He said that there has to be proper planning and also participation of community organisations in identifying the main concerns.
Speaking about the youth, Magar said that the new generation of Gorkhas in BTR and Assam has a different way of thinking today. He said that the older generation had worked on identity issues and they were united during those days. But over the years, this unity seems to have weakened and many organisations and groups sometimes appear divided.
He appealed to the youth to remain united on the common issues of the community. According to him, if the community is divided, it becomes more difficult to solve long pending matters. He said that unity and collective effort are necessary if any long-term solution has to be achieved. He urged the young generation to stay united and support efforts taken for the community without getting divided over organisational differences.
