Bengal govt ignored us, says GNLF - 200 families hounded out

Siliguri, March 26: The GNLF today accused the state government of ignoring the plight of its supporters, saying that around 200 families have been hounded out of the hills, their houses ransacked or torched by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha ever since its emergence three years ago.

“We have specific information that the Morcha leaders and their followers have either torched or ransacked at least 65 houses of our supporters spread across the three hill subdivisions. Also, more than 200 families have been terrorised and forced to leave the hills by the Morcha. They are spending their days outside their homes, and the state government and police remain mute spectators,” said the GNLF’s Kalimpong branch president Dawa Pakhrin here today.

Pakhrin further threatened to sit on an indefinite hunger strike in front of Writers’ Buildings in Calcutta to protest the state government’s inability to intervene and arrest culprits responsible for the crimes against GNLF supporters.

“Like any other resident of the state, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is our chief minister as well and he cannot deny his responsibilities. We want the state to immediately establish the rule of law in the hills and take punitive action against those guilty of attacking GNLF workers and organising arson and loot in their houses. If he continues to remain silent to our requests, we would have no other option but to launch an indefinite hunger strike. Our party leaders will sit within a fortnight and then, the final plan for the agitation will be chalked out,” he added.

According to Pakhrin, GNLF supporters have been crying hoarse over the issue since 2008 and had approached Bhattacharjee, Union home minister P. Chidambaram and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Pakhrin’s home in Kalimpong was torched in July 26, 2008 along with the houses of several GNLF leaders. The attacked followed the death of Morcha supporter Pramila Sharma, who was allegedly killed by a bullet fired from the house of the GNLF Darjeeling branch president Deepak Gurung on July 25 the same year. The latest casualty is Kurseong GNLF MLA, Shanta Chhetri’s house, which was set on fire on February 18 this year.

“We had also filed petitions with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) mentioning our plight,” the GNLF leader said.

The orders, issued by the assistant registrar (law) of NHRC asks “……the state government of West Bengal to provide adequate protection to the leaders and members of GNLF and to take appropriate action against those who indulge in criminal activities…”

It was further mentioned in the order that “…… the state cannot abdicate its constitutional duty to protect the life and liberty of citizens. Omission to take action against persons indulging in crime amounts to negligence in prevention or violation of human rights….”

Asked about the future plans of the GNLF, Pakhrin said. “We are not getting minimum legal support from the state or the police. There is no democratic ambience to ensure that all political parties take up activities in hills. That is why we plan to go to the chief minister. Our party leaders are also contemplating holding a public meeting in Calcutta to apprise the residents of the state about the atrocities of the Morcha and the apathy of the state.”

Morcha leaders, however, have denied the allegations. “They must not forget that they are responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 people in the Eighties when Subash Ghisingh led the bloody movement for Gorkhaland,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the media and publicity secretary of the Morcha. “We feel they are poor in statistics and are furnishing irrational figures. Forget 200, let them just name 20 families whose houses were torched and they were shoved out of hills.”

“It is better that the GNLF does not speak of democracy as right now, every party or individual in hills, can voice his/her stance while during the GNLF era, nobody dared to speak out,” he added.

Source: The Telegraph