ABGL man, Madan Tamang against Bimal Gurung

Darjeeling: The rift between the ABGL and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has widened even as Madan Tamang’s party demanded more territory for any self-rule arrangement that is being envisaged for the hills.

The rift between the two parties came to the fore during a public meeting of the ABGL at Chowk Bazar today. The ABGL has been harping on collective leadership and with the Morcha showing little interest in it, there is enough indication that Tamang’s party will go it all alone in rejecting the Sixth Schedule status.

“I have been opposing the special status for the past three years. These new kids on the block had once burst crackers and performed my last rites. Now they are opposing the Sixth Schedule, but there are indications that they are ready to compromise. I will not accept this,” said Tamang in an obvious reference to Bimal Gurung, the Morcha president. Gurung, Tamang hinted, had been one of those who had performed the ABGL leader’s last rites after the Memorandum of Settlement for the Sixth Schedule was signed in 2005. Gurung was then a GNLF strongman. He formed the Morcha around three months ago.

Tamang also alleged that the Morcha was not sending the right message to the people after meeting the Standing Committee to which the bill on the Sixth Schedule has been referred. “Why does one have to say that Gorkhaland will be formed before March 10, 2010. It seems he (Gurung) is speaking on the direction of some avatari (spiritual leader). It sounds more like Ghisingh (GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh). What will happen if a separate state does not materialise by that time?” said Tamang. He was referring to Gurung’s public address after he returned from Delhi.

The ABGL chief said the clashes between the Morcha and the GNLF were only creating an atmosphere of terror. Those who have left the GNLF should also discard the mentality of Ghisingh’s party. “Otherwise, it will be old wine in a new bottle,” he added.

Although Tamang did not reveal the details of his meeting with the parliamentary committee, he claimed that he had raised the issue of “territory” with the BJP leaders.

“Asok Bhattacharya is saying that the chapter (on territory) is now closed. But I have told the national leaders that in 1982, a bill brought by Somnath Chatterjee, Samar Mukherjee and Ananada Pathak (all from the CPM) demanding regional autonomy for the Darjeeling hills had included pockets of the Dooars where the Nepali-speaking people are in the majority,” said Tamang.

He claimed that all demands for self-autonomy from 1907 onwards had included the Dooars. “It was only in 1988, during the formation of the DGHC, that Ghisingh decided to restrict the autonomy till Sukna.”

Source: The Telegraph