Why Darjeeling should not be a part of Bengal

NEW DELHI: Head straight north from Siliguri and you pass through Sukna, a quiet stretch with tea gardens on either side of the road and forests that sometimes see rampaging elephants, before a sharp turn to the left takes you to the hills of Darjeeling. Within half an hour of the drive, everything changes -- the weather, the food, the features of men and women who pass by, and the language they speak.

If Darjeeling has been demanding separation from West Bengal, you cannot fault its people. The two regions have nothing in common - neither history nor geography, neither language nor ethnicity. It should come as no surprise then that the first petition that it be granted the status of a separate administrative unit came more than 100 years ago when in 1907 the Hillmen's Association of Darjeeling submitted a memorandum to the Minto-Morley Commission, making this perhaps one of India's oldest and longest struggles for statehood and identity.

In 1917, another dispatch to the British said: "Darjeeling's inclusion in Bengal was comparatively recent and only because the British were rulers common to both places. Historically, culturally, ethnically, socially, religiously, linguistically there was no affinity whatsoever between Bengal and Darjeeling." It was followed by a plea to the Simon Commission in 1929, to the Constituent Assembly in 1947, and to the visiting chairman of the State Reorganisation Commission in 1955.

The agitation for a homeland of their own gained serious and real momentum when Subhash Ghishing and his GNLF rallied all of the hills with the cry for Gorkhaland in the 1980s. A bloody battle followed in which the state machinery and the paramilitary forces, especially the CRPF, committed untold crimes - arbitrary killings, rapes, trumped up charges for indefinite jail terms, all round human rights violations - that largely went unreported in the mainstream media. More than 1200 people lost their lives.

Though tentative peace, amidst charges of Ghishing selling out his soul, was arrived at in 1988 with the establishment of the semi-autonomous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, the mountains remained restive. That didn't go away even when Bimal Gurung, a maverick who broke away from the GNLF and launched a fresh stir and a new party, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in 2008, to attain in 2011 the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, inheriting an old body with a set of what looked like new clothes.

The fact that Gurung rode to power, quite amazingly, on the back of a support campaign for an Indian Idol contestant called Prashant Tamang - who eventually won and now plays lead roles in movies produced in Kathmandu - just went on to show local nationalism was still strong and potent.

When the first batch of Nepalese, or Gorkhas as they prefer to be called these days for political reasons, settled in what is now Darjeeling, there was nobody to record it for history. The British had brought down with guile the fierce warriors and annexed in 1814 the hill tracts. That was almost 200 years ago. The region was formally adopted by England in 1837. By 1866, Darjeeling district as we know today was complete.

Spurred by the successful fight for Telangana, there is unrest again in the hills, a slew of bandhs already shutting down access to one of India's most beautiful travel destinations. And this time there are all indications that the fight will be long and sustained.

#darjeeling #gorkha #gorkhas #gorkhaland #gjmm

Gorkhaland Demand: What is it and why?

The basic point about Gorkhaland is IDENTITY and NOT DEVELOPMENT.

You should be very clear at the outset, that bringing in the talk of DEVELOPMENT in the way of IDENTITY is to DEVIATE from the core issue and to OVERSIMPLIFY and GENERALIZE the issues that the Gorkhas are trying to place before the nation.

Mixing up development and Identity is a conspiracy of the Ruling class to fool the people, resulting in more intensification of existing crisis.We rationalists should not take the faulty logic of the ruling clique and get trapped in rigmaroles.

Nevertheless, development or the lack of it is one reason for people’s rebellion.And most people who do not support the cause of Gorkhaland are now talking about non development in Darjeeling. Is it that all other places are highly developed except for Darjeeling?

But I wonder what development has there been in Kolkata except for adding the lesser used Vidhyasagar Setu to the colonial legacy. What development has there been to other parts of Bengal after the British left?And why is it that there is no demand for a separate state in Birbhum, Purulia, Bakura and Salboni etc., if it was just due to non development?

And that development is not the panacea for identity movements has been proved beyond doubt in Tibet where large scale development by the Chinese could not undermine the peoples’ aspiration for self respect and self esteem.

And the Indian Independence movement was, at least, not due to the lack of development.

Thus it is futile to prove that lack of development in the Gorkhaland area, is the cause of this movement. Proving it is the work of the conventional intellectuals and the cunning politicians.

Therefore, my request to you is that please do not bring in the issue of non development to the cause of identity and unknowingly confuse the whole movement for the emancipation of the Gorkhas.

Let me give you some core issues that the movement has put forward:

1)      Around 1780, the Gorkhas invade Sikkim and capture most part of it which includes Darjeeling with Siliguri. They administer it for 35 years when finally after the British-Nepal war,  Nepal cecedes its territory to the British in the treaty of Segoulee in 1816.

The ceded territory includes Darjeeling, Siliguri, the entire terai, Simla, Nainital, Garwhal hills, Kumaon upto the Sutlej., i.e., the entire region from Teesta to Sutlej.

Again, Darjeeling was handed over by the British to Sikkim but was later taken  back by the former for political reasons in 1835.The CPIM intellectuals and anti Gorkhaland intelligentsia talk only about 1835 but not 1780. I am sure that history does not begin only from 1835. What was prior to that??

2)      Lepchas were nomadic tribes and were engaged in zoom (shifting ) cultivation. They used to hang around the hills from one region to another. Sometimes they were in Nepal and sometimes in Sikkim.

That the Lepchas are the original inhabitants (they of course are, along with other tribes of this region) of this place is based on the account of one Capt. Lloyd, who wrote in his account that there were some 100 Lepcha huts in Darjeeling at the time. It is only that when he visited Darjeeling, those Lepchas just happened to be there. Had he ventured around, he would have surely met some other tribes of the region. It could have been any other tribe; Limbus, Magars, Rais etc who ran around these regions as it was their land. All these tribes belong to the Gorkha community. One thing should be kept in mind that Lloyd was not a trained historian but only a traveler.

These 100 Lepcha huts have now become a buzz word of the CPIM intellectuals to prove that the Gorkhas are foreigners here. They do not want to discuss other historical and anthropological contentions, which go in favor of the Gorkhas.

3)      When the British started tea cultivation in 1865 and the narrow gauge railway line in Darjeeling, a lot of people came here and started residing permanently. One should keep in mind that –

a)  these people did not have the modern concept of international borders,

b) they understood that the land was under the possession of their king and  when they came to work under  British enterprise as laborers ,they thought they were actually following  the orders of the Gorkha King and,

c)  they always understood that they were in their own land.

4)      When these events were happening, India, as we know today, was still not formed and all these people were British subjects, be it a Gorkha or a Bengali.

5)      But after 1947, India entered into an infamous treaty with Nepal in 1950- The Treaty of Peace and Friendship. The Article 7 of this Treaty reads: “The Government of India and Nepal agree to grant on a reciprocal basis to the national of one country in the territory of another the same privileges in the matter of residence, ownership of properties, participation in trade and commerce, movement and other privileges of similar nature”.

This treaty ambiguates the citizenship of the Indian Gorkhas, and it led to the loss of their Indian Identity.  It makes a Gorkha’s Indian citizenship a reciprocal one.

The present Gorkhaland movement is a search and a fight for this lost IDENTITY.

Only a separate STATE can give them this IDENTITY and nothing less.

(You can imagine what will happen to the citizenship of millions of Indian Bengalese if the Govt. of India and the Govt. of Bangladesh enters into such kind of a treaty with Art 7 intact). Rulers do not ask their subjects when they enter into treaties.  

So now it must be very clear that The Gorkhaland Movement is neither a fight against Bengal nor is it hatred against Bengalese. Once the STATE OF GORKHALAND is formed, no other INDIAN can call the GORKHA a FOREIGNER. The IDENTITY of the Gorkhas as Indians will become secured.

Therefore the Agenda of the Gorkhaland movement is only IDENTITY and not DEVELOPMENT.

 In that sense this movement is different from other movements for separate states. Telengana, Vidharb, Bundelkhand etc are a case for DEVELOPMENT, but Gorkhaland is a case for IDENTITY.

                                          #                            #                           #

 However I give you some cases of non development:

#     When the British left there were 180 tea estates in Darjeeling, now only 82 are left including some which are closed.

#      In North Bengal there is presently 18 tea gardens locked -out and in these some 30 thousand workers are jobless.

#      The wage of a labour in Darjeeling Dooars is the lowest in the country.

Tamilnadu                         Rs.101/-,

Kerala                                Rs. 92/-,

Karnataka                          Rs. 92.85/-

Darjeeling- Dooars            Rs.68.70/-

(These are inclusive of fuel and rations of poorest standards).

It is below the minimum wage of Rs.100/- .

#        The Government run Cinchona Plantations which employs thousands of people is on the verge of extinction, there is heavy corruption, and the authorities are conspiring to sell it to Hindustan Lever Group.

#       During the British Rule five to six mail and passengers trains used to go up and down Darjeeling – New Jalpaiguri, and the whole night goods trains used to run in the narrow gauge line. But now there is only one train with 3 compartments that runs between the two stations. 

#       Almost all the ropeways constructed by the British, an easy way of transport and employment, which carried goods to far flung areas are now defunct.

#       Malbazar- Mateley- Dooars was part of Darjeeling Parliamentary constituency, it was cut away and Islampur Chopra with no Gorkha population was attached to this constituency. This was done by B C Roy. His intention was criminal as the Gorkhas could not send an MP on their own, they had to depend on the Bengalese Ruling class’s whims and politics which always was detrimental to the interests of the Gorkhas.

#        Drinking water problem is world famous.

#          Although many departments were given to DGHC, it had no recruitment powers, which led to the unemployment of the educated individuals.  These are now the die-hard participants of the movement.  There was not even a single appointment in the hills in the last 20 years.      

#          Roads are always horrible.

These are some of the things which, I as a rationalist have been able to make some sensible people understand.

By Manoj Giri

[The author, a teacher in Kurseong, is Vice President of Humanists’ Association]

#darjeeling #gorkhaland #gjmm #gorkhas

Source:  Srai

Govt. singnalling for elections in the Darjeeling Hills

The Mamata Banerjee government on Wednesday issued the notification for the GTA Act, signalling preparations for elections in the Darjeeling Hills, even as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanded the inclusion of some 400 moujas in the Terai-Dooars. The notification to formulate rules for the elections to the GTA will be issued on Thursday.

According to the gazette notification issued by the hill affairs department, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Act to set up the GTA for the Darjeeling Hills takes effect on March 14, 2012. The GTA Bill was passed in the Bengal Assembly in September last year, accommodating most changes sought by the GJM. Through 54 amendments, the GTA Bill had tried to ensure that the legislation was in accordance with the tripartite agreement and the Hills body got more autonomy than the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), which it will eventually replace.

After the chief minister had blamed the Centre for the delay in getting assent, there was possibility that the fragile peace brokered by the GTA deal might have been disturbed once again. The GTA Bill got presidential assent on March 7, paving the way for setting up the GTA and holding elections in the Hills.

Even as the notification for the Act was passed on Wednesday, Section 74 of the Act was not included. This section had talked about repealing the DGHC Act, 1988. An official at Writers' Buildings explained, "Since the elections haven't been held and the GTA haven't been formed, the DGHC must remain. The DGHC Act will be repealed only after the formation of the GTA."

Officials at Writers' Buildings were busy giving final touches to the rules for the elections. The polls will be conducted by the state government since neither the Election Commission nor the State Election Commission has the mandate for it. The district magistrate (DM), Darjeeling, is likely to be the authority for holding the elections.

The election rules will be more or less on the same lines as that of the DGHC and electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for the polls. On Tuesday, chief secretary Samar Ghosh had said, "The election to the formation of the GTA will be held with the existing area as per the tripartite agreement. The government is not taking cognizance of the GJM's demands."

On Friday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had iterated that elections in the Hills will be held as per the tripartite agreement. The GJM's demand, however, is contrary to the agreement.

The GJM has been demanding that the high-power committee, looking into the inclusion of fresh areas from the Terai and Dooars in GTA, should submit its report before elections are held.

Now that the notification for giving effect to the GTA Act has been issued, the delimitation process for the election will also begin. After delimitation, a draft will be published for the delimited constituencies. There will be an interval of 15 days to register objections.

Source: Times of India

Darjeeling pact wrongly read: GJM - Morcha to meet CM on March 16

Darjeeling, March 14: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today accused the state government of wrongly “interpreting” the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement, a day after the chief secretary said there was “no scope” for “considering" the demand to hold election only after the territory issue was settled.

The GTA bill today became a law through a gazette notification.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, who is a signatory to the agreement on behalf of his party, said: “The Bengal government is wrongly interpreting the agreement that only says that the electoral process will run parallel to the high powered committee’s functioning. It does not say that elections would be held. The people will not accept an election without the finalisation of the territory and we will never accept anything that goes against public wishes.”

The other two signatories to the agreement were the Bengal government and the Centre.

The state government has appointed a 10-member committee headed by Justice (retired) Shymal Sen to look into the Morcha demand to bring Gorkha-dominated areas of the Terai and the Dooars under the GTA.

Giri, along with other senior Morcha leaders will meet Mamata Banerjee and the chief secretary in Calcutta on March 16. “We will make our stand clear at the meeting. Elections are out of question without finalising the territory,” said Giri. The Shyamal Sen committee will also meet in Calcutta the same day.

The Morcha wants the GTA election to be held only after the Shyamal Sen committee submits its report to the government. Its tenure has been extended for six months.

“Until then, the election process like delimiting constituencies (the present DGHC has 28 constituencies while the GTA will have 45) can start. But holding election is a different issue altogether. Till the polls are held, an interim board with nominated members should be formed,” said Giri.

Chief secretary Ghosh had yesterday said in Calcutta that there was “no scope” for “considering” the Morcha demand. “The tripartite agreement has been signed (by the Morcha as well). The agreement is exactly reflected in the law that will be notified tomorrow. It clearly states that the election process would be conducted by the state government even if the committee is yet to submit its report on the territorial matter,” Ghosh had said.

“There is no scope now for such considerations. We will go ahead with the elections (in the present DGHC) area,” he had said.

Countering Ghosh’s claim, Giri today said: “Clause 6 of the MoA reads ‘The work of this high-powered committee will run parallel to the electoral process which will be based on the existing delimited area (under the DGHC). However, the empowering statute will have a provision for the transfer of additional areas from Siliguri and the Terai and the Dooars that maybe agreed upon, based on the recommendation of the committee.’ I don’t think this means that election will have to take place parallel to the functioning of the high powered committee. The electoral process can definitely start.”

CPRM fast

The supporters of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists will be on a 12-hour hunger strike in front of the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 20 in demand of Gorkhaland.

“We will also submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office on March 20,” said Shekar Chhetri, chief of the CPRM’s youth wing.

Source: The Telegraph

Mamata should stop the Darjeeling hills blame game

For Mamata Banerjee to lay at the doors of the Central government the whole blame for the delay in implementation of the July 2011 agreement for the formation of an autonomous administrative set-up for the Darjeeling hills is less than charitable. Having gone ahead and claimed a breakthrough on the long-simmering issue rather prematurely, she doubtless needs to save face as the prospect of fresh trouble looms. But the fact remains that the manner in which the tripartite agreement was signed without figuring out ways to address all the substantive questions, involved essentially a tactic of political one-upmanship vis-à-vis the preceding Left Front government that really had not spared any effort to solve the issue in a sensible manner. The Shyamal Sen Committee, tasked with looking into “the question of identification of additional areas in Siliguri, Terai and Dooars that may be transferred to the new Body,” is still at work. The territorial issue is a crucial component of the formula set out, and if presidential assent for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill that was passed by the State Assembly in September is not yet forthcoming, it is not a mystery why. The wishes of the people of the areas in question will need to be factored in before conclusive decisions are taken, in order to avoid incendiary outcomes. As yet, there does not seem to be any solution in view for this problem within the problem.

After meeting the West Bengal Chief Minister earlier this month, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders did seem to soften somewhat their threat to start a fresh agitation for implementation of the agreement. But their persisting with the term “statehood,” even if as a pressure tactic, does not augur well. This slogan needs to be resisted — as Ms Banerjee rightly and promptly did by stressing her opposition to any division, and underlining the importance of a unified Bengal. The liberal financial package that the Central government offered for the development of the region as an incentive for peace, and the Chief Minister's emphasis on the development of the north Bengal region, are both commendable. But for the restive region, this is not enough. It seems fair to say that as things stand, unless the GJM adopts a more pragmatic approach on its territorial claims, if necessary by agreeing to renegotiate the terms of the pact while managing the feelings of its constituency, a real and workable solution would remain elusive. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister should give up the politically expedient blame game — and stop running with the hares and hunting with the hounds.

Keywords: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress, Shyamal Sen Committee, Left Front government, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, autonomous administration.

Source: The Hindu

GJM rally on the streets of Darjeeling hills

Kalimpong, Feb. 12: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha took to the streets for a separate state for the first time today since the signing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration agreement and a day after Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the hills.

The move, party leaders admitted, was part of a two-pronged strategy to force the government for an early implementation of the pact and to counter rivals who have been trying to use the delay to drum up support in their favour.

Rallies and public meetings were held across the hills by the frontal organisations of the Morcha, whose supporters shouted slogans for Gorkhaland.

The processions culminated in public meetings, where speakers spoke in favour of statehood. Although planned earlier, the rallies come a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Centre for the delay in implementing the GTA and promised the Morcha that she would discuss the matter with the Prime Minister.

Asked why the rallies were still being held despite the chief minister’s assurance, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “The programmes announced will continue. We want speedy implementation of the GTA.”

The Morcha will hold similar rallies and public meetings all over the hills every Sunday in the weeks ahead.

Binay Tamang, the Morcha assistant secretary, said the GTA would not be a stumbling block to Gorkhaland and the party would continue to raise the demand for a separate state before and after its formation.

Tamang said a series of programmes would also be held in Mirik from February 24 to March 1 in favour of Gorkhaland.

Although Tamang denied the Mirik programme was an attempt to thwart the GNLF from campaigning for a Sixth Schedule status for the hills, many felt it was otherwise. “The GNLF has said it will hold a public meeting in Mirik on February 26 to drum up support for the Sixth Schedule. The Morcha’s Mirik-centric programmes are an obvious attempt to counter that,” said an observer.

Arjun Rai, a GNLF leader from Mirik, said his party was yet to decide on the public meeting.

“Nothing is firmed up. We are thinking of holding the meeting. I don’t want to react to other parties’ decisions but what is important is that we are in favour of Sixth Schedule. We will do all that is in our means to force the Centre to implement the tripartite pact granting Sixth Schedule status to the hills,” he said.

The Morcha has accused its rivals of trying to use the delay in the formation of GTA to their advantage.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung last week launched a scathing attack on Gorkhaland Task Force, targeting Chhatrey Subba in particular and accusing him of harbouring Maoists.

The ABGL, CPRM, GNLF(C), Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang and the Gorkha Rajya Nirman Morcha are members of the GTF.

“The Morcha obviously believes that the opposing voices are getting vocal by the day because of the delay in the implementation of GTA. They seem to have learnt the lesson from the GNLF, which lost ground partly because of the long delay in the implementation of the Sixth Schedule pact,” said an observer.

Gurung has also accused a section of the media of providing a platform to his opponents so that they can continue with their campaign against his party even though they do not enjoy any public support.

The local channel here has stopped airing news based programmes after Gurung’s allegation.

The Morcha denied that the party had anything to do with the programmes going off air. “The decision to stop telecasting the news is that of the cable operator,” said Tamang. The civil society has taken strong exception to the development.

“The news programmes must be allowed to resume. The local cable operator should not be allowed to feel insecure. This is the demand of the public,” said N.P. Dixit, the president of the Citizens’ Rights Forum, Kalimpong.

Source: The Telegraph

"State did not delay the Darjeeling issue" says Mamata

In the backdrop of threats issued by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJB) to re-launch its agitation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought to put the ball in the Centre's court by saying that the State had not been delaying the implementation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) pact and the resentment of the GJM was justified.

Talking to reporters after a meeting with GJM leaders in Siliguri, Ms. Banerjee said the State government had not delayed the implementation of the tripartite agreement.

“We have not delayed matters. The agreement was checked clause by clause. I don't know why the Centre is delaying things. We have given all the clarifications that were asked for. I have myself contacted the Prime Minister's Office on this, and the Chief Secretary also took a meeting. I have sought time around February 23 and 24 for meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss this issue and some others.”

Ms. Banerjee said that besides the GTA implementation, development issues, including drinking water projects, tea-tourism schemes were also discussed at the meeting with GJM.

GJM leader Roshan Giri said while they were not budging from their earlier stand of re-launching the agitation if the GTA pact was not implemented by March 27, the issue of expediting the matter was discussed with the Chief Minister on Saturday.

He said Ms. Banerjee would be visiting Darjeeling on February 27 after meeting the Prime Minister.

“She told us she will help implement the GTA accord at the earliest.”

Earlier this week, GJM president Bimal Gurung had announced that copies of the memorandum of agreement for the setting up of the GTA in the Hills would be burnt at a public rally on April 17, if the proposed body was not put in place.

The people of the hills were disappointed that despite an assurance from the government that the GTA would be set up within six months of signing the agreement (on July 18), there were few signs of its implementation.

They are also unhappy about the extension of the term of the high-power committee set up to explore the inclusion of some Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars within the territorial jurisdiction of the GTA.

Source: The Hindu

CM to meet PM to ‘discuss’ Darjeeling hill set-up

Mamata Banerjee today said she would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister to “discuss” the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) issue and blamed the Centre for the “delay” in forming the administrative set-up for the Darjeeling hills.

“I am trying to get an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss, among other things, the GTA and the granting of backward status to Darjeeling,” the chief minister said. She said the “tentative date” of meeting Manmohan Singh was February 22 or 23 or 24. Mamata today announced that she would visit Darjeeling on February 28 with “some more projects”.

After a meeting with leaders of the Morcha, which has threatened to relaunch its statehood agitation if the GTA is not implemented by March 27, in Siliguri, Mamata said: “They (Morcha) are offended and I agree with them. The GTA agreement was signed on July 18, 2010, after a tripartite meeting with the Centre. Clause by clause, clarifications that the Centre had sought on the GTA were given. Even after that, the Centre is delaying the clearance.”

State government sources said the Centre was yet to give its nod to the GTA Act, which is awaiting the President’s consent. The deadline of the committee formed by the state to chalk out the territorial reach of the GTA was extended by six months in January-end.

Mamata has put the ball in the Centre’s court at a time the Morcha has set a deadline for the setting up of the GTA. Trinamul leaders close to Mamata said the chief minister needed to have “something concrete” to offer to the people in the hills before her visit there. “So she has planned to meet the Prime Minister before her visit to the hills,” a leader said.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “We heard what she had to say. But we will stick to our demand.”

Corruption glare
Mamata today told party colleagues that “a clean and honest image of Trinamul” has to be projected “ahead of the panchayat polls”. “Corruption will not be tolerated. We will have to ask those involved in corruption to mend their ways instead of driving them out of the organisation,” she said.

Source: The Telegraph

Morcha threatens to boycott Darjeeling hill panel - Gurung cry for mouzas and early GTA

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today threatened to withdraw all its four members from the territory committee if the Gorkha-dominated mouzas that it has demanded were not brought under the new hill administrative set-up.

Morcha president Bimal Gurung also expressed displeasure at the delay in the implementation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. One of the stumbling blocks to the early implementation of the GTA is that the territory panel is yet to submit its recommendations to the government.

The Morcha chief was speaking at a programme here to mark the first anniversary of the police firing that killed three party supporters at Sibchu.

“Our members will walk out from the HPC (high-powered committee) if it fails to include the mouzas demanded by us,” Gurung said.

In his address earlier, Morcha secretary Roshan Giri said the committee would meet in Calcutta on February 24 to hear the opinion of all political parties in the Dooars and Terai in the set-up. “The additional areas (to be included in the GTA) will be decided on the basis of contiguity, continuity and homogeneity. There shouldn’t be any difficulty in including the areas from the Dooars and Terai,” he said.

Apart from the 199 mouzas in the Terai and 196 from the Dooars, the Morcha has demanded the inclusion of three mouzas from the Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri district in the GTA.

Gurung’s walkout threat is being seen as a tactics to put pressure on the committee to submit its report earliest given that the Morcha has set a deadline of March 27 for the state government to implement the GTA agreement. The party has threatened to re-launch the Gorkhaland agitation, if the deadline is not met.

The Morcha has four members in the HPC which is headed by Justice Shyamal Sen. Other members are the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, a representative of the state home department, the director of census (representing the Centre) and the administrator of the DGHC. The government had on January 27 extended the term of the 10-member HPC formed in July last year by six months, a few days after the Morcha set the March 27 deadline.

The Morcha president wondered why the HPC was not being able to submit its report till today. “The delay in the formation of the GTA is providing an opportunity to the (opposition) leaders in the hills to chirp,” he said. Morcha rivals have revved up their campaigns in recent times, clamouring for statehood and Sixth Schedule status.

In Calcutta, Justice Sen said he did not know what the Morcha was saying. He said Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri had met him recently and had accepted the government proposals.

“He told me that a Morcha delegation would meet me in Calcutta on February 24. We have had cordial talks and had placed several proposals before them. They have agreed to them and it has been recorded. I don’t know what they are saying. They have not said they will not meet me on February 24,” Justice Sen told The Telegraph.

In Sibchu, on the fringes of the Dooars , Gurung came down heavily on Chhatrey Subba, accusing the 71-year-old rebel Gorkha leader of trying to breach peace in the hills. He, however, clarified that when he talked about training camps and Maoists in his speech, the charges were not against all constituents of the Gorkhaland Task Force. The GTF is an anti-Morcha consortium of five outfits — the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, CPRM, ABGL, Gorkha Rajya Nirman Morcha and the GNLF (C).

The GTF members had yesterday said Gurung would have to either retract his statements delivered on Monday or prove their involvement in conducting such camps.

“I mentioned the Task Force because Chhatrey (Subba) is part of it,” Gurung said. The Morcha chief had said the forests of Kalimpong were harbouring 15-20 Maoists. “No one should engineer violence. Remember, we too have GLP. We will pounce on any one (indulging in violence) and hand him over to the government,” he said. The GLP is a squad of lathi-wielding volunteers raised by the Morcha, apparently to control crowds at its meetings.

The Morcha president dared Subba to share his vision of Gorkhaland with the people. “I will assemble one lakh people in Kalimpong or anywhere to hear him,” he added.

Source: The Telegraph

Rivals in Darjeeling challenge Bimal Gurung on Maoist slur

The Opposition parties have challenged Bimal Gurung to provide concrete evidence on the existence of underground training camps in the hills or withdraw statements to that effect as “baseless” allegations could vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the region.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president had said here yesterday that his political opponents were conducting underground training camps and were hobnobbing with Maoists in Kalimpong.

He hinted that the camps were run by the Gorkhaland Task Force, an anti-Morcha forum comprising the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, ABGL, CPRM, GNLF (C) and the Gorkha Rashtriya Nirman Morcha.

Munish Tamang, the GTF secretary, said in a press release that the “unfounded” statement of the Morcha only proved that its politics was based on lies and deceptions.

“The Gorkhas have seen through the doublespeak of the Morcha that still talks about the GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) as well as Gorkhaland in the same breath. The statement also shows that the party is now bereft of ideas and meaningful issues and is thus trying to divert public attention from its visible failures on all fronts.”

“The GTF challenges Shri Bimal Gurung to come out with concrete evidence to back his claims about the GTF receiving illegal underground training or else withdraw his statement and desist from making statements that vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the hills,” he said.

The GTF said Gurung’s claim about the training camps is “all the more laughable” as everybody knows “which party or organisation is capable of sparking violence” in the hills.

According to Tamang, the GTF is an alliance of well-known political and social organisations as well as prominent individuals who are committed to the creation of Gorkhaland.

“All organisations that are part of the Task Force have a long, unblemished track record of dedicated service to the Gorkha society. No partner in the GTF is on any record for involvement in random violence,” he said.

The GTF pooh-poohed Gurung’s plea that he was free to lead the movement for a separate state as it was not he but Morcha secretary Roshan Giri who had signed the GTA agreement.

“The Morcha secretary signed the agreement on behalf of the party and with the full consent of the president. If indeed, as the statement of the party president suggests, the secretary signed against the wishes of the party and the president, then the GJM should expel Roshan Giri from the party, make an unequivocal statement for Gorkhaland and join the GTF to unitedly fight for the creation of a separate state for India’s Gorkhas,” reads the GTF statement.

Former GNLF leader Chhatrey Subba, who was at the receiving end of Gurung’s verbal attack yesterday, also attacked the Morcha chief.

Subba accused Gurung of settling for the GTA by hoodwinking the people. “So many people have died; didn’t they all die for Gorkhaland? Why can’t he (Gurung) accept Gorkhaland when he enjoys so much support,” he said.

Subba said he was willing to lead the agitation for Gorkhaland if the people wanted him to. “If I get the support, I will definitely lead the Gorkhaland agitation. If I don’t get the support, I can’t do anything,” he said, adding that he was open to the idea of heading the movement under the banner of the Gorkhaland Liberation Organisation (GLO) or any other forum acceptable to the people.

The GLO was formed by Subba after he fell out with GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh.

Source: The Telegraph

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration delay spurs campaign race in Darjeeling hills

Darjeeling: The rivals of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha have geared up their revival activities as prospects of the government implementing the new administrative arrangement for the hills by March 27 seem dim.

The deadline was set by Morcha chief Bimal Gurung but with the territory issue yet to be sorted out, chances of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) coming into force by next month is almost impossible.

Under the circumstances, the GNLF has decided to hold a public meeting in Mirik on February 26 to garner support for the Sixth Schedule status for the hills. Party president Subash Ghisingh will be present at the meeting — to be his first public address after the Assembly elections. He had attended a public meeting before the elections.

The Gorkhaland Task Force, a conglomerate of five outfits opposed to the Morcha, has revved up a campaign for statehood. The GTF members — the ABGL, CPRM, GNLF(C), Gorkhaland Rashtriya Nirman Morcha and the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang — are currently meeting MPs and MLAs in the Northeast, seeking support for the formation of a separate state, an activity that has been bothering Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.

He had come down heavily on the GTF yesterday in Kalimpong, accusing its members of being in touch with the Maoists. He also said his rivals were opposing the GTA only for the sake of opposing it.

Arjun Rai, the convener of the GNLF’s Mirik unit, today said: “We have decided to hold a public meeting in Mirik on February 26 and our party president Subash Ghisingh is expected to be present. He will announce the party’s future course of action in support of the implementation of the Sixth Schedule status in the hills.”

Ghisingh, who had been hounded out of the hills by the Morcha in 2008, returned on April 8, 2011. The very next day, he headed for Mirik to attend an election meeting — the only public meeting he had addressed — to drum up support for the three party candidates.

Following clashes between Morcha and GNLF supporters at Sonada after the election results were announced, Ghisingh had quietly slipped out of the hills under the cover of darkness on May 16, 2011.

A section of GNLF supporters, however, feels that Ghisingh who now stays in Jalpaiguri may come to reside permanently in the hills when he comes up to address the public meeting.

On the other hand, in the GTF camp, a team met P.A. Sangma, the NCP leader and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha at his residence at Tura in Meghalaya yesterday.

Chhatrey Subba, the chief of the Gorkha Liberation Organisation, also appears to have plans to revive his political activities after nearly 10 years. Gurung has been wary of the 71-year-old Gorkha leader, who is known to be against any form of autonomy, even the GTA, and is a staunch supporter of Gorkhaland.

The Morcha has threatened to re-launch the agitation for statehood if the government fails to implement the GTA by March 27.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said his party was not worried about the GNLF demand for the Sixth Schedule status for the hills.

He said governor M.K. Narayanan has assured the party of all possible help for the early implementation of the GTA. “The governor has promised to speak to the President during their scheduled meeting on February 15,” said Giri, who met Narayanan at the Darjeeling Raj Bhavan this evening. The GTA Bill is awaiting the President’s approval.

Sibchu meeting

The Morcha will hold a prayer meeting at Sibchu tomorrow after a 12-km run from Nagrakata, reports our Jalpaiguri correspondent. Party members will pay tribute to Morcha supporters “who laid down their lives” for Gorkhaland at the meeting.

The rebel faction of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad led by John Barla will also participate in the meeting.

The Jalpaiguri district administration has granted permission to the Morcha to hold the run. But police are unaware of the public meeting to be addressed by Gurung.

“The police will be deployed along NH31 from Chulsa to Nagrakata and we have granted them permission for the run. But we have no information about the public meeting. We have appealed to everyone to maintain peace,” said Arindam Sarkar, the subdivisional police officer of Malbazar.

Source: The Telegraph

Morcha’s get-ready alert for Darjeeling hills: Miss-deadline attack on state

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

GJM reiterates March 27 deadline for GTA

Reiterating the March 27 deadline, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Wednesday proclaimed that if the government fails to form the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) within the above date, the GJM would launch an agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland. West Bengal Governor will be arriving in Darjeeling on February 6.

A GJM Central committee meeting on Wednesday resolved that the GJM would be resurrecting the Gorkhaland agitation if the Government fails to meet the March 27, 2012, deadline. “We will hold a massive rally in Sukna near Siliguri on April 17 from where we will announce the political programmes for Gorkhaland” stated Jyoti Rai, GJM Central Committee member.

The GJM has also decided to observe February 8 as “Black Day” throughout the Hills. On this day in 2011, three GJM supporters had died in police firing at Sibchu bordering Dooars while agitating. West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan will be in Darjeeling on February 6, 7 and 8th. In Darjeeling the Governor is scheduled to attend a Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) programme on 7th and visit Chongtong Tea Garden on the February 8. On the same day he will be leaving for the plains.

Political observers however feel that the Governor’s sudden winter visit to the Darjeeling Hills could be in connection with the GTA. In Darjeeling he would definitely study the political environment and hold parleys with the GJM which could revolve around the GTA issue, opined political observers.

Since October 2007, the Darjeeling Hills have been a witness to a separate state agitation led by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM.) Several rounds of tripartite talks between the Centre, State and the GJM finally paved way for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on July 18, 2011, between the Centre, State and the GJM  for the formation of an autonomous body named the GTA.

The MOA led to the passing of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill 2011 in the West Bengal Assembly on September 2, 2011. However with the territory issue (area to be incorporated in the GTA) remaining a bone of contention, the GTA has not seen the light of day yet.

Along with the three hill subdivision of the Darjeeling district namely Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, the GJM has demanded the inclusion of 199 “Gorkha dominated” mouzas of Terai and another 199 mouzas of Dooars of the Jalpaiguri district in the GTA.

A joint committee has been formed constituting of members representing the Union, State and the GJM to look into the territory issue. After the expiry of the 6 month term of the committee on January 27, 2012, the Government has further extended the term by another 6 months.

Source: Hindustan Times

Darjeeling Hills civic polls scheduled for December 11

Darjeeling: Elections to the four hill municipalities will be held on December 11, more than two years after polls could not be held following stiff resistance from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and nobody coming forward to file nominations.

So long, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik municipalities had been run by a board of administrators.

District magistrate Saumitra Mohan said: “We have received a notification from the state government and elections to all the four hill municipalities will be held on December 11.” The schedule for the election has, however, not been finalised but is expected in a day or two.

The elections to the municipalities were scheduled for June 28, 2009 last time. But following opposition from the Morcha which demanded that the state government first implement a three-tier panchayat system in the hills, nobody filed nominations.

The Darjeeling municipality was set up in 1850 and is the second oldest in Bengal with 32 wards. Kalimpong has 23 wards followed by 20 wards in Kurseong and nine in Mirik.

Since July 14, 2009, a day after the five-year term of the hill municipalities came to an end, the civic bodies have been run by a board of administrators with the SDOs of the respective subdivisions as chairpersons of the board.

After the memorandum of agreement was signed between the Centre, the state government and the Morcha on July 18 this year to set up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, provisions were included to ensure that the three- tier panchyat system was brought back in the hills.

Following the insertion of the clause, the Morcha is now eager to hold the municipal elections. The state government has, however, made it clear that the three-tier panchayat system would be in place only after the GTA is implemented. The Morcha, too, had agreed to the state government proposal.

This time too the Constitution has to be amended. It was amended once in 1992, soon after the DGHC was formed. The amendment was necessitated to implement a two-tier rural system for the Darjeeling hills since no two zilla parishads — the highest rung in the panchayati system — could exist in one district. So while the plains of the Darjeeling district had a Mahakuma Parishad (equivalent to the zilla parishad), the hills had a two-tier system without the zilla parishad.

This clause will now have to be amended to put in bring back the three-tier panchayat system in the hills.

Source: The Telegraph

Expedite Darjeeling civic election to facilitate development: GJM

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders have demanded to speed up election to the four municipalities of Darjeeling to facilitate development work. GJM chief Bimal Gurung recently hinted at a public meeting that development works in the municipal areas has remained stalled for the last five years.

"Our party is serious about development in the Hills. Several development works have been hampered since election to the municipalities is still pending," said a senior GJM central committee leader.

The last election to the four municipalities was held in 2004. Then, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had formed the boards. However, GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh took forward the demand for including Darjeeling under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. This stopped election to the civic body and also to the panchayat system.

However, after GJM came to power in 2007 with the separate Gorkhaland state demand, most GNLF leaders and commissioners had defected to the GJM. Since then, the four municipalities at Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong and Mirik are run by a board of administrators headed by the sub-divisional officer.

"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will take time to be fully functional. In the meantime, development must also take place simultaneously," asserted the leader.

GJM though has not yet given its consent to holding election to the two tier panchayat system in place in the Hills. A demand has been made by the party to create several blocks from the existing ones for people's convenience. "Some of the blocks in the sub-divisions are vast in areas. We want the government to create at least 24 blocks from the existing ones so that development schemes and facilities reach the remotest of areas," reasoned the central committee leader.

GJM wants the existing eight blocks to be bifurcated into 24 blocks. The demand is that three blocks are created from one block. At present, it is time-consuming and cumbersome for people to get work - like issuance of birth and residential certificates and old age pension - done at a panchayat office that is situated several kilometer away, complained another GJM leader.. GJM's contention is that people waste one whole day at the office and are also not sure if the work will be done and secondly it feels officials of panchayat offices will be less burdened.

The Hills has only the gram panchayat and panchayat samaity. A zilla parishad runs the sub-division of Siliguri in Darjeeling district. However, in the GTA Bill there is provision for a three tier panchayat system as demanded by GJM.

Meanwhile, a six member GJM team including the three Hills MLAs and central committee leaders today left for Sikkim, to meet chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and express their sorrow over the earthquake devastation and deaths.

Source: Times of India

Roshan Giri meets home secretary

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Roshan Giri met state home secretary G D Gautam at Writers' Buildings on Monday and discussed the first steps towards making Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling functional. There were also discussions on setting up of an administrative complex, a secretariat and staff quarters.at a meeting with West Bengal home secretary G. D. Gautama at Writers' Buildings in Kolkata on Monday discussed the first steps to make Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling functional, the setting up of an administrative complex, a secretariat and staff quartes. Giri later said that a detailed meeting was held on the functioning of the proposed GTA. With the GTA Bill having been passed in the assembly with the necessary amendments, GJM leaders were now getting ready to make GTA functional. "We are preparing For that we are getting ready and preparing the required infrastructure for functioning of the GTA," he said. Only a formal nod from GJM president Bimal Gurung was now awaited. For proper implementation of different clauses of the memorandum of agreement signed between GJM, the state government and the Centre, a series of talks with Kolkata and Delhi would now be necessary. In Monday's discussions, the possibility of appointment of members of th GJM's youth brigade in the state police and the army were discussed. Giri discussed with the home secretary also about setting of the three-tier panchayat system in the hills and how the panchayats would function to accelerate development. Panchayat bodies in the hills had turned defunct since 2004 as there was no election. Moreover, the panchayat system in the hills was a two-tier one, with gram panchayats and panchayat samities but no zilla parishad. Till now, the outgoing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was functioning also as the zilla parishad. Giri discussed the issue of giving proper status to scheduled tribes in the hills, as there was a sizeable tribal population. Giri said that scheduled castes should also get their dues., he said. GJM leaders would soon hold a meeting with the Backward Classes Commission so that people of backward classes had better opportunities. An official said in the hills about 30 per cent of the population were tribals and about 18 per cent were scheduled castes. The task of delimitation of constituencies for holding the GTA elections would also have to be taken up. While the state government wants the process of holding the elections and the survey for inclusion of additional areas in Dooars and Terai to continue as parallel processes, GJM wants the elections to be held after completion of the process of inclusion of new areas. Giri refused to comment on the progress in inclusion of Dooars and Terai areas to GTA, saying that a high power committee for identification of areas was doing its job. Source: Times of India

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Bill passed with changes - CM firm on state's integrity, GJMM sticks to stand

KOLKATA, 2 SEPT: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Bill, 2011 was today passed in the state Assembly with the government accepting most of the demands of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM). The GJMM insisted that it was not giving up its demand for a separate state and chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee asserted that the state's territorial integrity would remain intact. She urged the Opposition not to raise the bogey that the formation of the GTA would create disaffection among the Hills and the plains people. The chief minister also announced that the panchayati raj system would be introduced in the Hills ensuring that there is no conflict between the GTA and the panchayat bodies. The state government, she said, had already apprised the Centre of the matter so that the Constitution could be suitably amended. The state government moved a series of amendments, including insertion of the words, “ethnic identity of Gorkhas established”, in the preamble of the Bill, and dropped the term “Sabha”. It accepted the GJMM’s demands for giving Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) “administrative and financial” powers along with executive powers. The amendment also barred the transfer of the principal secretary to the GTA within a period of two years without the consent of the GTA. It also allowed the GTA to create posts equivalent to government Group-D staff and make regulations relating to their service conditions with the approval of the government. The state government accepted the GJMM’s demand that the quorum of the GTA should not be more than one-third of the total number of members and it said there would be no provision for nominating any member to the GTA by the Governor. One of the amendments read, the chief executive of the GTA would resign from office by giving notice in writing, addressed to the Governor, instead of the chief minister. The government turned down the Leader of the Opposition’s move to refer the GTA Bill to a select committee for a detailed review. It also turned down amendments for renaming the Act as Darjeeling Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act, 2011. A division demanded by the Opposition on omitting the clause of constituting a committee for examining the question of identification and transfer of additional areas of Siliguri, Terai and Dooars to the region, was turned down by 159 to 45 votes. Miss Banerjee took exception to the Opposition's alarmist posturing over the formation of the committee for exploring the possibilities of inclusion of the Terai and the Dooars in the GTA. “It’s you (the Opposition) who are trying to sow seeds of discord in the Hills. When we signed the agreement for solving the problems in the Hills, the Opposition called a bandh there and tried to mislead the people about our plan to settle the dispute,” she said. Mr Harkabahadur Chhetri (GJMM MLA) thanked the chief minister and her government for expediting the peace process in the Hills. “We have come out of the situation created by the Left Front government with much difficulty,” he said. Locals celebrate DARJEELING, 2 SEPT: People across the Darjeeling Hills today celebrated the passage of the GTA Bill in the state Assembly. The common refrain here is: “It would restore peace and usher in development in the long-restless Hills.” The GJMM activists celebrated the event by bursting firecrackers and taking out rallies. Several of them were found dancing to traditional Gorkha tunes. The main ‘victory’ congregation was held at Chowrasta, known as the hub of the hill-town. “We are glad that the Bill has been passed today. The peace-loving people in the Hills are now looking forward to the constitution of the GTA through elections. The Hills needs development and peace above everything,” said Mr Vikram Rai, a local resident. The people thanked the CM for passing the Bill. But beneath the surface glee and celebration, there is a lurking apprehension lest the GTA follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the DGHC. “The responsibility of the GJMM has increased manifolds. We all have to be vigilant all through to prevent the body from degenerating and getting bogged down in the cesspool of corruption and authoritarianism in the way the DGHC was discredited in the collective perception. The state should bring the GTA under the Lokayukta to check corruption,” Miss Sulochana Thapa, an NGO worker, said. ambika pradhan Source: The Statesman

GTA bill passed with changes State hears voice of hills

Calcutta, Sept. 2: The government today accommodated most of the changes sought by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and passed the bill to set up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration for the Darjeeling hills. The Mamata Banerjee government, through the 54 amendments it brought to the GTA bill, tried to ensure that the legislation was in accordance with the tripartite agreement and the hill body got more autonomy. Soon after the bill was circulated among the MLAs on Monday, the Morcha leadership had said the bill did not reflect all the provisions agreed upon in the deal signed by the hill party, the state and the Centre, on July 18. The Morcha was also cut up because the preamble of the bill did not mention that one of the reasons for the creation of the GTA was to establish the ethnic identity of the Gorkhas. “The state government today made several amendments to the bill and we are happy that all our demands have been fulfilled,” said Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri after the bill was passed in the House by a voice vote. Some demands, however, like removal of “incompetence” as reason for the government to supersede the GTA was not accommodated. The leader of the Opposition, Surjya Kanta Mishra, requested the government to send the bill to a select committee, but the government rejected the suggestion. Unlike a standing committee which exists for every department and for the entire term of the government, a select committee is created only on a need-basis. It consists of expert MLAs who can deal with a particular issue and is dissolved as soon as the issue is resolved. “Unanimous decisions used to be taken (a reference to the Left Front regime) on issues pertaining to the hills. The government should try to reach a consensus over this bill. We also want to include the word ‘Darjeeling’ in the name of the proposed body,” said Mishra. Mishra also protested the setting up of a government panel to look into the Morcha demand to bring territories in the Dooars and the Terai under the GTA. “I have no objection to more autonomy for this body, but further inclusion of territory will open a Pandora’s Box …. Also, the elections to the GTA should be conducted by the state election commission and not the state government,” said Mishra. The government, however, turned down all of Mishra’s suggestions. In reply to Opposition charges, the chief minister cited the Left Front government’s willingness to name the new hill body, the Gorkhaland Regional Authority after a round of tripartite talks in August last year. She also reassured the people of the Dooars and the Terai that “no harm” would come their way. “A campaign is on against us, people are being misinformed that we will give up the Terai and the Dooars and divide the state. The people of Darjeeling are our brothers, those of the Dooars and the Terai are our sisters. We will not let harm come in the way of either our brothers or our sisters,” said Mamata. She also told the House that the government would set up a development board for Lepchas. The Lepchas, one of the indigenous tribes of the Darjeeling hills, have been demanding a development council which will preserve the culture of the community and also help in its growth. They had been demonstrating in front of Writers’ for some time. Many of them had been arrested last month for violating Section 144 in front of Writers’. Of the 54 amendments to the hill bill, 41 involved the omission of the word “sabha”, the repeated use of which the Morcha had objected to. The hill body had said the word undermined the new arrangement by conveying the idea that only a “sabha” or a local body was being created and not an entire administrative set-up. “We have worked hard to ensure that nothing in the bill is against our interest unlike the earlier political leaders who were in a hurry to accept whatever was being offered. We have been sincere to our people and it is their victory,” said an elated Giri, while directing a barb at the GNLF whose chief Subash Ghisingh had signed the agreement for the formation of the DGHC. “It is a historic day for the people of Darjeeling. We are happy with this bill. However, our demand for a separate state stands. We are hopeful that one day this House will rise to justify the just demand for Gorkhaland,” said Morcha MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri. During the discussion on the bill before its enactment, the Opposition had raised questions on whether the integrity of the state was being jeopardised by the government’s concessions to the Morcha. In his response, Chhetri told the House: “Let the question of integrity no longer be used as a weapon to suppress the voices of the minorities.” Source: The Telegraph

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

New Beginning and status for Darjeeling

It is just as well that the parties to the tripartite agreement on Darjeeling’s autonomy went in with their eyes open. While the West Bengal chief minister and the leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha stuck to their expected margins of rhetoric, the fact that could not be missed was the awareness of reality and each other’s compulsions that they displayed. That is always a safe premise to begin on, and keeps politics within the bounds of reason and maximalist impulses at bay. Mamata Banerjee unequivocally declared that Bengal will not be divided, and that the agreement is not a precursor to division. Bimal Gurung, acknow-ledging Banerjee’s constituency in the plains, emphasised that the GJM had not given up its demand for statehood. In fact, in a concession to the GJM, that the demand stays alive was written into the memorandum of agreement. Otherwise, what the hills have gained this time round is immensely bigger than what they had acquired 23 years earlier.

Most importantly, Gurung seems to have understood the responsibility now placed on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, running which will be distinctly different from spearheading an agitation. While Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram warmly warned the GJM about this, the GTA’s object lesson in how not to do things remains the Subash Ghising-run Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council — in particular, Ghising’s failure to account for nearly Rs 80 crore and to do any work. Moreover, the DGHC got very little compared to the sums the GTA will receive from the Centre and the state; nor did the DGHC have the power, on paper, to spend the money any which way it pleased. The much larger GTA, with executive and financial but no legislative powers, is getting 59 departments in comparison to the DGHC’s 19. That is a lot of opportunity to begin the turnaround in the hills with, although little can happen without the oversight and cooperation of Kolkata and New Delhi.

Once the state assembly passes the bill establishing the GTA and elections to the body are held, Gurung and his colleagues will have to prove their ability to govern and deliver on the socio-economic revival the Darjeeling hills need — that includes infrastructure, commerce, the tea industry, health and education. The territorial issue is still pending and whatever happens in faraway Telangana is likely to frame politics in north Bengal. But, for now, as Chidambaram, Banerjee and Gurung noted, there is peace in Darjeeling — long sought and long denied to its people. Irrespective of the discordant notes, there is harmony enough to make a new beginning.

Indian Express