Rebel Gorkha leader Chattrey Subba criticizes GTA

Darjeeling: Seventy one years old Chattrey Subba is considering taking sannyas from politics. However the rebel did not fail to criticize the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA- an administrative arrangement for the Darjeeling Hills) and pitched for the separate state of Gorkhaland. It was a day of mixed emotions at the Subba household at Raushey Bazar in Kalimpong on Saturday, the day after Chattrey's release from the correctional home after 10 long years. While the family celebrated his return; bail being denied to his son Santosh Subba in a different case, cast a long shadow on the revelry. Subba had been arrested on March 24, 2001 in connection with the Subash Ghising assassination bid case. He was finally acquitted on September 9, 2011. Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) leader Subash Ghising, then the Chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) had been attacked at Saath-ghoomti under the Kurseong sub division, on his way back from Delhi. Two police drivers died in the attack along with a suspected attacker. Six others were injured. “Whosoever raises the demand for Gorkhaland is either murdered as in the case of Madan Tamang or sent behind bars like me. Even the GTA deal has been clinched over Madan Tamang’s dead body. Blackmailing over the murder forced a compromise” alleged Subba. “I believe that only Gorkhaland can resolve the crisis of the Gorkhas. I do not have faith in anything less. Because I opposed the DGHC earlier Ghising along with the government conspired and sent me behind bars. The attack on Ghising was orchestrated by Ghising and the government to put me behind bars. While in the Correctional Home the government had offered me a high power Council which I could head. However I did not accept their proposal hence I was forced to languish in jail. They even tried to kill me” alleged Subba. He stated that while he was in the correctional home in 2003 he had a severe heart ailment and was shifted from the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home to a medical facility in Kolkata. “There they had kept me under heavy security without giving me a single medicine for my cardiac ailment. But seeing that I did not die they were forced to send me back to the correctional home in Jalpaiguri. Subba used to head the militant wing of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) during the violent agitation of the 80’s led by Subash Ghising. He however had parted ways with Ghising over the formation of the DGHC in 1988. He had floated a new outfit Gorkha Liberation Organisation (GLO) Subba had vehemently opposed the DGHC and had given a call for the continuation of the separate state agitation. “Councils and similar administrative bodies delay the main goal of separate State. It also does not fulfill the political identity issue not accords a political security to the Gorkhas. Only a separate state than ensure this” stated Subba. When questioned on his future plans, Subba stated “My family members want me to retire from politics and I am planning to do so.” More than 10 years behind bars seemed to have dampened the rebel spirit. Regarding his son Santosh Subba being arrested in the Kalimpong blast incident, Subba stated “If he is guilty he should be punished. If not they should not keep him behind bars like they did to me for 10 years after which they acquitted me. I have lost precious years of my life” On July 26, 2011, the Kalimpong motor stand was rocked by a low intensity blast at around 3am in the morning with a stove allegedly planted below a North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) bus having exploded. Santosh was arrested in connection with this case on July 31. “I am happy that my husband is back home after 10 long years but I am also sad that my son is behind bars though he is innocent like his father” stated Monika Subba, wife of Chattrey Subba. Source: Hindustan Times

House burnt in GJM-GNLF clash

DARJEELING: Trouble is brewing in the Hills once again. On Tuesday, Chimney, a small hamlet in Kurseong, turned violent with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supporters clashing over a cultural programme.

According to the police, GNLF supporters on Monday were celebrating the signing of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) accord at Majuwa in Chimney, about 20 km from Kurseong town. During the celebration, some GJM supporters allegedly tried to disrupt the celebration, resulting in a minor scuffle.

On Tuesday morning, things took an ugly turn with supporters from both sides clashing once again. The house of Sangay Rumba, a GNLF supporter, was set on fire and his vehicle torched, allegedly by GJM cadres. "Several GJM supporters attacked our house around 11.30 am. My husband was dragged outside and beaten up. They also ransacked our belongings," alleged Bangmu Rumba, Sangay's wife.

She managed to escape with her daughter through a window. Fire tenders arrived on time to douse the fire and the house was only partially damaged. Sangay sustained minor injuries.

GJM leaders, however, denied the allegations and instead blamed GNLF for the violence. "Our supporters did not have a hand in the violence. In fact, it was GNLF men who attacked the house of our supporter Padam Rumba on Monday night," alleged Niru Sherpa, a GJM leader of Chimney.

Both parties blamed each other for the violence and also filed FIRs at Kurseong police station. Police said no arrests have been made so far. "We are investigating what happened in Chimney though the situation is under control now. There were minor clashes between the GNLF and GJM over a celebration," said Nima Sherpa, the Kurseong SDPO. Adequate police forces have been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incidents.

On August 22, 1988, Subash Ghisingh, the GNLF chief, signed an agreement with the state and central governments to form the DGHC, after nearly 28 months of bloody agitation. More then 1,200 people were killed in the 1986 agitation that was ultimately dropped after signing of the accord.

Source: Times of India

Protection cell prop for GNLF comeback - Resistance groups for ‘social work’

The GNLF has started forming village protection cells but emphasised that contrary to popular belief they had not been set up to challenge the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s lathi-wielding Gorkhaland Personnel.

Youths in the age group of 18-30 will be members of the VPCs, the GNLF said.

“The VPCs have been formed of conscious and educated youths to undertake social work in a given area. They will neither be trained nor lodged in camps as done by the GLP,” said Shivraj Thapa, spokesperson for the Darjeeling GNLF sub-divisional committee.

Observers said that the VPCs would give the much needed muscle power to the GNLF which is trying a comeback in the Darjeeling hills. The announcement on the village resistance groups comes at a time when Bimal Gurung’s party has called a 27-day strike in the hills in phases for Gorkhaland from January 12. With the Srikrishna panel suggesting bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh as one of its options for the Telangana region, the Morcha now feels the proposed interim set-up for Darjeeling is too modest a goal. The GNLF, however, is for Sixth Schedule status for the hills.

According to GNLF leader Thapa, several village development committees had been set up across Darjeeling and Kalimpong sub-divisions. “A chief will be in charge of 10 VDCs. The chief will also appoint 11 VPC members from each village who will directly report to him. These members will provide the chief with information on the village.”

Thapa claimed that 600 “conscious” youths from Darjeeling and Kurseong had already enrolled in the VPCs. “The motive is totally social and should not be misconstrued. Issues of trafficking of girls from villages will be looked into by these youths. The youths have to be Madhyamik qualified to be able to join the VPC,” said Thapa.

The Morcha’s GLP had been formed purportedly for crowd and traffic management during the party’s public meetings. Later, they were trained by ex-servicemen from the hills and tried to function as a parallel police force.

Even though the Morcha has withdrawn the GLP from the public domain in recent times, it accompanies party president Gurung to public meetings.

The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) had also unveiled its Swyam Sevak Bahini, which consisted of volunteers in red caps, during its May Day public meeting in Darjeeling last year. But during the next few months, the Bahini has not been spotted anywhere in the hills.

Unlike the Bahini and VPC members, the GLP volunteers are paid a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000-Rs 1,500 and have uniforms. In fact, have recently started cases against the GLP at Darjeeling, Mirik, Runglee-Rungliot and Kurseong police stations for wearing army fatigues, as one of its uniforms. Civilians are prohibited from wearing such fatigues under Section 140 of the IPC.

Rivals welcome fast

The ABGL and the CPRM have welcomed the Morcha decision to start an indefinite hunger strike from February 16 for Gorkhaland.

“We welcome the decision… but do not believe that general strikes will have any impact and will only inconvenience the general public,” said Naryan Chhetri, spokesperson for the ABGL.

The CPRM added that it would be “great” if Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh, too, participated in the fast.

ABGL for referendum on ‘set-up’

Darjeeling, April 18: The ABGL has urged the government to hold a referendum to find out whether the interim set-up mooted by the Centre, state and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is acceptable to the people.

“If the referendum goes in favour of the (interim) set-up, we have nothing to say. However, the government must not thrust any provision on the people unless it is accepted by them,” ABGL president Madan Tamang told a media conference today. “The Morcha is now talking as if the interim set-up is equivalent to the statehood. We do not think the people will accept it.”

The ABGL chief also demanded a probe into the assets of Morcha leaders. “We believe that Rs 1,200 crore has been spent through the DGHC in the last two years. We demand a CBI inquiry into the projects executed by the council in the past 24 months and a probe to ascertain Morcha leaders’ properties,” said Tamang.

Ghisingh salvo

The GNLF chief, Subash Ghisingh, said in Jalpaiguri on Sunday that the Morcha’s settling for an interim set-up was “nothing but begging”. Ghisingh said he was “101 per cent” sure that the Centre and the state had rejected the demand for Gorkhaland. He criticised the Morcha’s demand for the inclusion of the Terai, Dooars and Siliguri in the interim set-up and quashed rumours that he had been invited by the Union home minister for talks.

Source: The Telegraph

In hills, ban on govt cars - GNLF for wheel jam in Siliguri today

Darjeeling, April 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has “banned” the movement of government vehicles in the hills for an indefinite period, demanding the immediate arrest of GNLF supporters who had allegedly beaten up some Morcha men in the Terai last week. The “ban” extends to police cars as well.

The GNLF, too, has threatened a chakka jam tomorrow at Darjeeling More in Siliguri if the Morcha supporters involved in Tuesday’s clash are not arrested immediately. Subash Ghisingh’s supporters will stop all hill-bound vehicles and those coming down.

The Morcha has, however, decided to allow the subdivisional and the block offices to start functioning from tomorrow. It had shut down the offices on April 7, citing hike in water tax and lack of transparency in implementing the 100 days’ work scheme. Following the closure, the Darjeeling municipality rolled back the tax.

Party general secretary Roshan Giri said: “We have decided to open the subdivisional and the block offices from tomorrow, keeping in mind the census that has started.”

Media and publicity secretary Rohit Sharma said it was party president Bimal Gurung’s idea to go for the indefinite bandh. “We told him that we had imposed a 24-hour ban to press for the arrest of the GNLF supporters but he told us that this would not work and the ban should be indefinite.” Asked whether the “ban” on vehicles would affect the census, Giri said: “This is the party’s stand at the moment.”

This is not the first time that the Morcha has “banned” the movement of government vehicles. But given the government’s policy of non-confrontation in the hills, the administration is unlikely to take any action.

Morcha insiders, however, said the vehicle ban is a pressure tactics to force the state and the Centre to accept an interim arrangement for the hills that would include parts of the Dooars and the Terai.

Territory has been a major bone of contention between the government and the Morcha. The state and the Centre are reluctant to part with any part of the plains and want the interim set-up to be confined to the hills.

Source: The Telegraph

GNLF renews statehood demand on foundation day

Siliguri, Apr 5 (PTI) The Gorkha National Liberation Front today said it will mobilise public opinion against the 'Taliban' rules of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and pledged its resolve for a Gorkhaland state.

GNLF, which celebrated its foundation day today, renewed its statehood demand for Gorkhaland state.

GNLF would no longer demand Sixth schedule nor accept any interim settlement as suggested by the GJM, Dawa Pakhrin, party's Kalimpong unit chief, said in his address at Panighata in the foothills of Darjeeling, about 35 km from here.

"From today onwards, we will not settle for anything less than the statehood," Pakhrin said.

He said GNLF would now start mobilising public opinion against the 'Taliban' rules of GJM in the hills and regain its lost ground.

Source: PTI

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

GNLF cries govt apathy to plight - 200 families hounded out: ghisingh party

The GNLF today accused the state government of ignoring the plight of its supporters, alleging that around 200 families had been hounded out of the hills and their houses ransacked or torched by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha ever since its emergence almost three years ago.

It also said the government had trashed the order of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directing the administration to ensure that all GNLF supporters returned home safely.

“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.

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

“Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is our chief minister as well and he cannot shun 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 the GNLF workers and torching and looting 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 to chalk out the final plan for agitation,” 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 house in Kalimpong was torched along with the homes of several other GNLF leaders on July 26, 2008. The arson followed the death of Morcha supporter Pramila Sharma from a bullet fired allegedly from the house of the GNLF Darjeeling branch president Deepak Gurung a day earlier. The latest victim of alleged Morcha atrocity is Kurseong GNLF MLA Shanta Chhetri, whose house was set on fire on February 18.

“We had also filed petitions with the National Human Rights Commission, mentioning our plight. The NHRC had sent orders in December 2008 to the Bengal chief secretary and the director-general of police, directing them to take action against those who had indulged in these crimes and make arrangements so that we can return home. Nothing, however, has happened so far and we are still staying in Siliguri and in the plains,” the GNLF leader said.

The orders, issued by the assistant registrar (law) of the 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 that allows the coexistence of all political parties in the 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 of the atrocities of the Morcha and the apathy of the state.”

Morcha leaders, however, have denied the allegations levelled by the GNLF. “They must not forget that they were 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 the hills.

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

Source: The Telegraph

GNLF to hold ‘expose’ rally

The GNLF is planning to convene a public meeting in the Darjeeling hills this month to “expose” the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders.

The party is also thinking of observing its foundation day on April 5 in Kurseong after four years.

“After yesterday’s meeting in Delhi, it is apparent that the Morcha leaders are more interested in getting funds from the central government rather than achieving separate state,” said Rajen Mukhia, the convener of the GNLF’s Terai branch, today. “Quite aptly, they have been satisfied by the Centre’s offers. They came out of the meeting without expressing any anguish over the one-and-a-half months delay caused by the central and the state governments.”

Mukhia said they had apprised party president Subash Ghisingh of the Delhi meeting and he had instructed them to convene a public meeting in the hills before the end of March. “At that meeting, we will expose the Morcha leaders who are simply pocketing government funds and becoming millionaires over the years.”

At the foundation day rally, the GNLF will highlight how the Morcha leaders have deviated from the Gorkhaland issue. “They want to settle the matter with the governments and therefore harping on the formation of a regional authority,” Mukhia said.

“They have lost their relevance in the hills and like an expired medicine, their regime was also over on March 10, when their president (Bimal Gurung) failed to meet the commitment (of achieving the separate state).”

After March 15, when Gurung unveiled the “secret proposal”, the GNLF revived its political activities across the hills. A meeting was organised at Sukna the next day to criticise the document.

The GNLF accused the Morcha leaders of confusing the hill people for a separate state. “Unlike we, who gave no false hopes, they have been confusing the people over the past three years in the name of Gorkhaland,” Mukhia said.

Rahul Sinha, the state BJP president who reached here today, welcomed the outcome of the Delhi talks. “We have demanded talks to sort out the (Gorkhaland) issue. It is good that both the governments are finally convening meetings,” he said.

The Telegraph

‘GNLF move will divide votes’

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today called GNLF chief Subhas Ghisingh a “stooge of the CPM” for his decision to either put up his own candidate for the Lok Sabha polls or support one from a “national” party.

Criticising his decision as a “tool to divide the hill votes”, the Morcha said Ghisingh was against the creation of Gorkhaland and only wanted Sixth Schedule status for the hills.

On a visit to Jalpaiguri on Tuesday, Ghisingh had said: “We (GNLF) will play a proactive role in the Lok Sabha elections. We might field our own candidate or support any other party.”

Today, the vice-president of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha, Jiten Rai, said his statement made it clear he was “against the aspirations of the people of the Darjeeling hills” as his sole aim appeared to be to split the hill votes. MORE...

Between the cup & the lip

This winter of 2008 in Darjeeling has been less about idle basking at Chowrastha. The political flurries blowing across the hills are keeping almost everyone busy: while some indulgences are aimed at a bigger share of the power pie, for a vast majority it’s the call for realizing that much-treasured dream of sub-regional identity.
This season of discontent in the hills has its genesis in the summer of 2007. Interestingly, it all started as a plain and simple support campaign for a local crooner who made it to become “Indian Idol” in a reality television show. But as it turned out, the mobilization has now culminated into a renewed demand for statehood, albeit under the veil of frenzied opposition to the proposed Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling and a denouncement of the dogmatic Subash Ghisingh, who has ruled the DGHC uninterruptedly since 1989.

What went wrong for Ghisingh?
Even six months back, he was the omnipotent leader in the hills. In fact, in December 2005, when Ghisingh returned from New Delhi after signing the memorandum of understanding for conferring Darjeeling Sixth Schedule status, thousands of hill people turned up at Bagdogra airport to receive him. The mass hysteria to put a khada (the traditional Nepali scarf offered as a mark of respect and allegiance) on Ghisingh was a sight to remember and portrayed, if anything, his undisputed popularity.

At that point, the lone political voice opposing Sixth Schedule status was the All India Gorkha League, in particular its president Madan Tamang. But with an overwhelmed mass backing him, Ghisingh did not even bother listening to AIGL arguments.

Given this background, one wonders what has now prompted the majority of the hill masses to defy Ghisingh — to the extent of not allowing him to return to Darjeeling and, finally, dethroning him from the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. The answers lie in Ghisingh’s near two-decade rule over the hill council area and his dictatorial style of functioning.

Without going into the intricacies, it can precisely be said that under his chairmanship, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council has by and large failed to address the aspirations of the hill people. Leave aside Ghisingh’s over-hyped promise of mass employment, etc, the hill council has even failed to address basic needs like drinking water, roads, drainage and sanitation. Tourism and agriculture, the backbone of the hills’ economy, have also been neglected over the years.

The scarcity of water is so chronic that even in the tourist hub of Darjeeling town, residents remain bothered for every single drop and tourists need to pay for every additional bucket at a hotel. Although the DGHC is not directly responsible for water supply in the municipal areas, Ghisingh has been the immediate target of public grievance on that account.

The embezzlement of funds by some of his councillors and DGHC officials has further tarnished Ghisingh’s image.

While all these speak of his inefficiency as a ruler, at the same time, the truth is that the DGHC had very limited powers and scope to usher in all-round development in the hills. More so when, in the popular perception, the hill council was somewhat equal to a separate state.

Then there is this dogmatic and dictatorial style of functioning that Ghisingh practised through out his tenure as DGHC chairman. It’s not merely word of mouth, but he actually perceived himself as the “king of the hills” and had distanced himself from fellow men and subjects in a manner that befitted only a king.

Internal democracy both within the DGHC or the GNLF was something unheard of and considered irrelevant, too. On all matters of importance, Ghisingh’s wish was the last word and his councillors were there only to give the customary nod. Thus, over the years, from a popular founder-leader of the Gorkhaland movement, Ghisingh transformed himself into an authoritarian ruler with no direct links with the masses. Again, there were a number of potential rebel groups that stemmed out of Ghisingh’s denial to share the power pie with them and his constant disregard of hill intellectuals.

Yet the non-consolidation of the aggrieved sections allowed Ghisingh to win one election after another. He also remained blind to mounting public discontent, the overwhelming presence of deceptive supporters at all GNLF meetings and rallies.
Finally, it was his unwillingness or failure to explain the proposed Sixth Schedule status to the people that turned the tide and consolidated all grievances to take on his 18-year-old regime. The doctored perception about Sixth Schedule status being the end of Gorkhaland prospects worked as the key motivator in rousing the hills against Ghisingh.

Does Bimal Gurung come across as old wine in a new bottle? However doubtful, had he not dared to take up cudgels against his guru, would the consolidation of the grievances against Ghisingh been possible? For to reign in hill politics, a certain amount of heroism, anti-establishment attitude and muscle power are a must. These were traits by which Ghisingh used to command awe from the masses.

But when Gurung openly revolted against Ghisingh, the people were astonished to discover that there was someone who could challenge the “unchallengeable”. Gurung’s “credibility” was heightened by the fact that till the other day he himself was part of the important “ammunition” that ensured Ghisingh’s rein over the hills remained intact.

Hence, the hill people soon shifted their allegiance to their new-found hero and deserted Ghisingh, who was becoming more intimate with the establishment (read state government) by the day. Interestingly, while denouncing Ghisingh, the people overlooked the fact that Gurung, too, was a councillor in the DGHC that has, over the years, dispensed misrule and corruption. And if being DGHC chairman Ghisingh was to shoulder the major blame, all his councillors were responsible too.

But as so often happens, when emotions come into play logic takes the backstage.
It was the CPI(M) that gave Gurung his first taste of victory. It was in November last year when, in the face of Gurung’s diktat, the ruling Marxists shifted the venue of its district conference from Darjeeling. While from the administrative point of view this was probably a justified decision to avoid unnecessary confrontation, for a political party it was nothing but suicidal – vis-a-vis the party’s existence in the hills and the morale of workers.

This imprudent CPI(M) act not only raised Gurung’s confidence, it also solidified his anti-establishment image across the hills. This was, however, not something incoherent of the Marxists’ fickle-minded policy concerning the Darjeeling hills, which was evident since the Gorkhaland movement of the ’80s.
In the post-Gorkhaland movement era, the CPI(M) has never stood firmly as an opposition party in the hills. In fact, it has experimented with a number of contradictory coalitions there, keeping an eye on mere electoral gains. Thus, over the years, the CPI(M) has lost credibility and strength in the hills and is now been reduced to an insignificant force that cannot even hold its conference in the face of threats by a novice politician.

So, what next?
Ghisingh is not history yet and will definitely make the plunge to regain lost ground. By his side will be the few to whom the option of switching over to the new camp is not open. And as soon they clamour onto the survival bandwagon, a confrontation with Gurung’s Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha will be in sight.
It will be a fight to decide the authorised franchisee for the Gorkhaland demand, with the cause itself probably slipping out of focus.

(The author is on the staff of The Statesman, Siliguri.)

Hills to soon get back ‘old Ghisingh’

Siliguri, March 6: The people of Darjeeling hills will get back “the old Subash Ghisingh” after March 10, when he resigns as caretaker administrator of the DGHC and once again takes up the cudgels for Gorkhaland.

On his return to Siliguri from Delhi today, the GNLF chief said once he quits, he would be “freed” of all administrative responsibilities. “The old Subash Ghisingh would then be back,” the GNLF leader told reporters at the rest house of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited. “I have told the Prime Minister that a fresh dialogue on Gorkhaland should be opened.”

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has “banned” the GNLF chief’s entry to the hills and in the face of indefinite bandh and hunger strike, Ghisingh was forced to take shelter in Pintail Village on the outskirts of Siliguri the last time he came from Delhi on February 18.

He had been to the capital then to mobilise support in favour of the Sixth Schedule bill, which the Morcha has been opposing. At that time the Morcha had even set up blockades in front of Pintail.

This time, police did not take any risk and Ghisingh was whisked away to the rest house at Second Mile off Sevoke Road after he landed at Bagdogra in the afternoon.

The GNLF chief also said he has asked the district magistrate of Darjeeling to keep a draft of his resignation letter ready. “I will submit my resignation on March 10, irrespective of my place of stay.”

Morcha socially boycotts GNLF supporters

Darjeeling, Feb. 11: Seven families in a village of more than 150 houses in Pandem have accused the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha of ostracising them. Once a GNLF bastion, the entire valley along Pandem, near here, has now switched allegiance to the Morcha.

Urmila Tamang, a GNLF supporter, alleged that she can neither visit her relatives nor use local vehicles or sell grocery from her shop after the Morcha call for social boycott.

“They have damaged my shop and house and now even my relatives fear visiting me. No one buys anything from my shop. People do not even give us their vehicle on hire saying that they are following the Morcha diktat,” said Tamang, who is in her 50s.

C.B. Tamang, who is the GNLF Lebong Valley chief and Urmila’s husband, is currently in jail after a clash between the two rival parties on January 4. “Such diktats were against houses which have GNLF flags,” said Urmila.

A group of 10 GNLF women supporters who had come to the house of Deepak Gurung, the party’s Darjeeling branch committee president, wanted to know if a diktat had really been issued by Morcha president Bimal Gurung. “He is talking about a democratic movement and Gandhibadi. We want to know whether he has issued the social boycott order or is it the local unit at work,” said one of the women.

Gurung, too, alleged that a number of GNLF municipality commissioners were being socially boycotted. “We condemn such form of politics. These people are not only socially boycotting the villagers but they also want to drive them away from their respective localities,” he added.

Dismissing the allegation, Binay Tamang, the Morcha spokesperson, said the practice of social boycott was started by the GNLF. “We have not issued any such diktat but if the local samajs and the villagers believe that some people are creating a nuisance and if they take independent decisions against them, the party cannot say much.”

Revival of Gorkhaland demand from January second week

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and about half a dozen other parties have announced that they would intensify their movement for a separate Gorkhaland in Darjeeling and surrounding hills in West Bengal from the second week of January.

Over the past few months, the GJM has been organizing rallies and protests in Darjeeling Hills to press their demand for a Gorkhaland state.

The powerful Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) has favored the Central Government’s move to create an autonomous self-governing Gorkha Hill Council in Darjeeling under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

But the GJM, a breakaway faction of the GNLF, led by Bimal Gurung, has vehemently opposed it.

“We want Gorkhaland. Now the government is talking about Sixth Schedule, when they had already rejected it in 1988. Then why is the government talking about it now. We do not want Sixth Schedule,” said Gurung.

Gurung added that they do not want to move out of India, but need a separate state.
“We want to stay in India. We are protecting India by Gorkha forces then why are we not being given a separate state,” added Gurung.

In December 2007, the Central Government deferred the consideration by Parliament of a Constitution Amendment Bill to create an autonomous self-governing Gorkha Hill Council in Darjeeling reportedly under pressure from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The government has referred the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee as demanded by the opposition.

GNLF launched the agitation for a separate state in 1980, but dropped the demand for Sixth Schedule after New Delhi agreed to confer partial autonomy in 1988 for the Nepalese-speaking people.

An agreement was signed by the Central Government, the West Bengal Government and the GNLF paving way for the setting up of the Autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (ADGHC) in 1988.

The State Government in West Bengal has been resisting demands for a separate state to Gorkhas. (ANI)

GNLF massive meeting at Sukna

Sukna : Senior GNLF leaders today not only campaigned for the Sixth Schedule status but also threatened to restart the movement for Gorkhaland if the bill granting special status is not passed in the budget session of Parliament. However, they steered clear of discussing the contents of the bill.

Today’s meeting, according to Kurseong MLA Shanta Chhetri, was an attempt to stop “Bimal Gurung and his cohorts from misleading the people”. Gurung’s party, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, too had convened a party here, 9km from Siliguri, on December 9 to garner support against the Sixth Schedule.

“Our attempt was to brief people on the benefits of the special status and elaborate on our party’s contribution to development,” said Chhetri, a central committee leader of the GNLF.

Asked whether Gurung had any backing from outside, she said: “Unlike his meeting, nobody could find a single vehicle with Sikkim registration numbers here today.”

The MLA repeated what Ghisingh had said after his meeting with chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee last week. “It is true that a section of party workers are frustrated over the delay. In case the bill is not passed in the budget session, we will restart the movement for Gorkhaland.”

Today’s meeting recorded a footfall of at least 15,000 people (some of the meeting attendants opine the crowd to be not less than 35000), who came down from the three hill subdivisions of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling. There were people even from Mirik and the Nepali-dominated areas of the plains.

Although speakers like K.N. Subba, N.B. Khawas and I.N. Pradhan spoke on the Sixth Schedule at length, there was no discussion on the bill’s content, which left a section of the audience confused. “We were here because we thought the leaders would tell us more on the provisions of the Sixth Schedule,” said Phu Tshering Tamang from Mirik. “They were busy condemning the Morcha.”

The GNLF leaders, however, took a cautious stand on the BJP — the party that had objected to the passing of the bill and had demanded that it be sent to the Standing Committee. “We don’t find anything wrong with the BJP demand. After all, an amendment bill should pass through a specified process,” Pradhan said.

Source: The Telegraph

GNLF supporters attacked by GJM supporters

Darjeeling: Three people were injured when a clash broke out between political rivals near the taxi stand in Singamari late on Saturday night. Some of the vehicles were also damaged.

According to police, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters attacked Avinash Tamang of Bannockburn when he, along with Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supporters were returning home after a public meeting.

Tamang, who sustained serious injuries on his neck, had to be admitted to the district hospital. Two others suffered minor injuries. Bimal Gurung, Dawa Lama and Aloke Kant Thulung, including 10 others, have been named in the FIR lodged at Darjeeling Sadar police station. Police have initiated a case of rioting and attempt to murder.

"Some of the GNLF men lodged a complaint on Saturday night. We have already registered a case and started a probe," said Sadar PS OC NT Sherpa.

Source: The Times of India

KB Gurung attacked with Khukuris

Darjeeling: People here are bracing for a rerun of violent incidents and general strikes 21 years after the Gorkhaland agitation set the hills on fire.

The administration’s decision to keep the army on standby suggests that the government is not taking chances either.

Initial signs confirm the fears. “We will not tolerate lawlessness and attacks on our leaders. We have decided to call an indefinite strike in the hills from tomorrow,” said Deepak Gurung, the president of GNLF Darjeeling Branch Committee.

He was referring to the khukuri attack on party leader Kul Bahadur Gurung in Darjeeling this morning.

Kalimpong subdivision is already under a GNLF-sponsored 108-hour general strike since yesterday. That shutdown was called to demand that the bill granting Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling Hills be immediately tabled and passed in Parliament.

If the bill is indeed tabled in Parliament during the ongoing winter session (it is in the list of business), it could spark fresh trouble in the hills. For, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, a party launched by expelled GNLF leader Bimal Gurung, is ready to oppose the status and instead demand a separate state, leading to a stand-off with Bimal’s former party.

“We will oppose the Sixth Schedule status and fight tooth and nail for Gorkhaland,” the Morcha president has declared.

The new party has already announced an agitation that includes forced closure of all DGHC offices till the end of the winter session. It also plans to gherao Lal Kothi, the administrative headquarters of the DGHC, after school examinations end.

The Morcha has attracted a lot of support from many areas of the hills, especially Singmari-Tukvar, the home constituency of Bimal. Unlike in the mid-80s, when the GNLF had near-total backing of the hill people, this time around the support is getting polarised, making the situation tense.

Over the past few days, there have already been sporadic incidents of violence in some parts of the hills, culminating on the attacks on Kul Bahadur and a Morcha supporter in Kalimpong today.

As the stand-off between the GNLF and the Morcha continues, neither is willing to blink first. Deepak has demanded that Morcha leaders Bimal, Nima Lepcha (Sanu) and 20 of their supporters should be immediately arrested for the attack on Kul Bahadur.

Morcha leader Binay Tamang struck back by saying the administration should arrest Deepak and other GNLF leaders for tearing his party’s flags in Darjeeling today.

“We have been saying in various public meetings that the GNLF will attack its own leaders to malign our image and today’s incident has proved us right,” said Tamang.

“If the GNLF leaders are not arrested, there could be law and order problem in the hills,” he warned.

During the Gorkhaland agitation, the Darjeeling hills saw general strikes lasting up to 40 days.

Source: The Telegraph

GJM supporters march towards Lal Kothi

Darjeeling : Hundreds of supporters of the newly formed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today marched towards Lal Kothi as part of the party’s plan to gherao the DGHC’s administrative headquarters.

The protesters were stopped by a police barricade 500m from the headquarters. They returned after GJM leaders promised to come back in the second phase of their agitation programme.

“The next time we will go unannounced and will definitely reach Lal Kothi,” said Bimal Gurung, the president of the new party.

“We wanted to go to Lal Kothi and seek an explanation from Subash Ghisingh for dropping the Gorkhaland demand despite the fact that 1,200 martyrs had laid down their lives for it. We do not want Sixth Schedule which will only divide our community,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri at a meeting at Chowrastha later in the day.

Before the second phase, the party has decided to send a delegation comprising central committee leaders to Delhi on November 13 to meet Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Shivraj Patil to apprise them of their opposition to the Sixth Schedule status and to raise the Gorkhaland demand.

“The winter session of Parliament is scheduled to start on November 15. On that day we will burn copies of documents related to the special status (like the MoS) across the hills as a mark of protest,” said Gurung.

GNLF Darjeeling branch committee president Deepak Gurung refused to read much into the GJM’s agitation and said the new party would lose steam after a few months.

Source: The Telegraph

CPM backs Sixth Schedule in the hills

The Darjeeling district CPM today reiterated its solidarity with the GNLF over the implementation of the Sixth Schedule in the hills.

At a district secretariat meeting, CPM leaders unanimously agreed to intensify their activity in the hills to stop “vile attempts to create tension over the issue”.

“We want to convince the hill people that their aspirations are being met,” said Bengal urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya, who is also a member of the district secretariat.

The CPM move follows the formation of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha by expelled GNLF leader Bimal Gurung, who criticised Subash Ghisingh’s party for being happy with the Sixth Schedule and not demanding a separate state.

“Our aim is early implementation of the Sixth Schedule, followed by elections to the new Gorkha council,” Bhattacharya said. “We want to see an elected body take charge of the council and seek cooperation from the GNLF and other hill parties.”

Source: The Telegraph

Bimal Gurung's Kalimpong unit to launch soon

Kalimpong : The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will formally launch its Kalimpong unit after a public rally here on October 31.

A 53-member working committee has been formed to oversee the preparations for the rally. The members of the committee come from diverse backgrounds, but all of them are united in their opposition to the GNLF and the Sixth Schedule and are one with GJM president Bimal Gurung on the Gorkhaland issue.

Gurung had formed the GJM earlier this month after he was expelled from the GNLF for anti-party activities.

The committee, which will automatically stand dissolved after the formation of the GJM’s Kalimpong unit, was formed at a meeting here yesterday. Prominent among the members of the committee are columnist Harka Bahadur Chettri, an independent councilor of Kalimpong Municipality Bijay Sundas, Kalyan Dewan and D. Subba.

Sundas, who is also an executive member of GJM, said the party has been getting overwhelming response from all corners of the subdivision. “We are taking our time in launching the local unit, because we are extra careful about getting the right persons at the forefront,” he said.

Though GJM sympathizers are not willing to go on record, but the public meeting is expected to be attended by Gurung himself.

The local GNLF unit has so far put up a united front and has solidly stood behind Subash Ghisingh. “Try as he may, Gurung will fail to make any impact here. Kalimpong is not Darjeeling,” said a senior GNLF leader here.

Source: The Telegraph