Darjeeling, Feb. 5: Bimal Gurung today met representatives of all Gorkha Janmukti Morcha organisations and told them to gear up for fresh agitation if the government missed the March 27 deadline to put in place the hill administrative set-up.
Gurung also launched a vitriolic attack on the state government, the first time since the Trinamul Congress came to power. In fact, the Morcha and Trinamul had so far been enjoying a cosy relation with the four Morcha MLAs sitting on the treasury bench in the Assembly.
Setting up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration before the Morcha deadline is almost an impossibility for the government as the territory issue is yet to be resolved.
In a message to the government, Gurung said: “If you (state government) are thinking of tiring us, we just want to say we will never be tired.” The reference was to the territory committee whose tenure has been extended by another six months by the state government though it was to tentatively submit its report by February this year.
One of the major stumbling blocks in the formation of the GTA is the submission of the report as the Morcha has already declared that it will not accept the new administrative arrangement unless the territory map was firmed up. The party wants the Gorkha-dominated areas of the Dooars and the Terai to be made part of the GTA. The high-powered committee is looking into the Morcha demand and is expected to submit its report.
The fact that the Morcha is increasingly getting frustrated with the overall functioning of the state government could be gauged when Gurung said: “Is the agreement (the memorandum of settlement signed between the state, Centre and the Morcha) of no importance? The government had agreed to form the GTA within six months but now the deadline had been crossed. Moreover, no initiative has been taken to start work under schemes that had been promised in the agreement.”
Gurung even went to the extent of directly blaming the state government for the delay in implementing the GTA. “The government is forcing us to reject the GTA. Let them not force us to burn copies of the GTA agreement.”
The Morcha chief iterated that they would watch the government’s initiative to form the GTA till March 27. “We will see till March 27 but no longer. Our supporters will come to Sukna on April 17 and will decide our next course of action,” said Gurung.
He also had a word of advice for other regional outfits that have started a campaign for the statehood. “We were the ones to demand the release of Chhatrey Subba. He should not wear masks given by other people,” said Gurung.
“Everyone has the right to raise the demand for Gorkhaland but this demand should not be made a begging bowl by other parties.”
He said the activities of other parties should also be monitored by the government as certain “forces” were trying to create a law and order problem in the region.
Source: The Telegraph
1 comments:
"other parties creating law and order problem and to keep a check on them". this seems an irony of the decade. Bimal is the greatest one who does this. this is pure hypocrisy on bimal's part.
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