Darjeeling, Nov. 27: Madan Tamang, the president of the ABGL, extended his “best wishes” to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for the ensuing tripartite meeting but said the talks must lead to statehood.
Tamang’s statement comes at a time when both his party and the Morcha are at loggerheads. In recent times, Morcha supporters had gheraoed his house and demanded that he quit politics.
Such has been Morcha’s tirade against Tamang for his alleged false statements that the ABGL office in Darjeeling has remained closed for the past two weeks. Tamang, however, has denied that there has been any pressure on him. “The only reason why we closed the office for sometime was to ensure that there were no skirmishes and untoward incidents.”
Today, the ABGL leader extended his best wishes to the Morcha for the tripartite meeting. “However, these talks must lead to separation of Darjeeling and the Dooars from Bengal. If this is not achieved and if the people concerned (Morcha) accept some other arrangements, they will be branded agents of Bengal (government),” he said.
Tamang claimed that during his recent trip to Delhi he had complained to the Election Commission about how the Morcha was muzzling the Opposition voice and using schoolstudents in the hills to serve its purpose.
Gorkhaland, Tamang said, is for overall development of the hills and not essentially for identity. “However, we must note that overall development is not possible (if we remain) in Bengal. For the past 60 years, they (Bengal) have not been able to provide drinking water. Funds meant for 102 schools have been embezzled but no one has been made accountable.”
The statehood demand was against the “principle of the Bengal government” and not against any particular community, he alleged. “The CPM and leaders from other organisation in the plains should stop inciting people and playing with fire.”
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