GJM opponents doubt truce talk

KOLKATA: While both chief minister Mamata Banerjee and leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) are happy at finally reaching a solution to the Darjeeling problem, the other political parties were caught fuming. They called the "understanding" between the state government and the GJM a sham and betrayal. So while the GJM is trying to arouse public sentiment in favour of the agreement that it has reached, these political parties feel that this is just a lull before the storm.

Bharati Tamang, who is now the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) after the murder of her husband Madan Tamang on May 21, 2010, felt that since the GJM has won the assembly polls with people's mandate, the latter should now squarely ask questions. Tamang was killed just below the Planters' Club in full public view, allegedly by GJM supporters. Madan was a moderate leader of the Gorkhaland movement and was opposed to all excesses.

Since the late 1980s, he became a strong critic of Subhas Ghisingh though he had started out as an ally.

"Why are you asking me these questions? It is the GJM that has won with people's mandate. They have made promises to win the election. Now it is for them to live up to promises," Bharati said sarcastically. She added that the ABGL would never compromise on its demand for Gorkhaland. "However, more than anything else, peace should return to the Hills soon. The people of Darjeeling cannot live a life full of political uncertainties," she added.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) had, under Subhas Ghisingh's leadership, negotiated the Darjeeling accord in the 80s for formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) -- an arrangement to run the Hills on its own, though under the umbrella of the state government. One found GNLF workers smirking, even as Ghisingh is presently cooling his heels at Jalpaiguri. "Tuesday's truce clearly proves that there is no other solution to the problem than what we had worked out in the 80s. We are yet to see the new agreement between the GJM and the state government. Once we do so, we will be in a better position to condemn the stand of the GJM," said GNLF's Palden Dorjee Lama.

The GNLF had entered into a tripartite agreement with the state government and the Centre on December 6, 2005. "Unfortunately, the CPM led state government did not honour that pact. We are sure that the present agreement is based on the pact that we had drawn up," Dorjee said.

The GNLF accused the GJM of hoodwinking the people of Darjeeling on the issue of Gorkhaland. "That was their only slogan for the election. People trusted them and voted the GJM only because they thought that the party would help eke out Gorkhaland for them. Now, the GJM is singing a different tune. A board will be formed to look into the burning issue of the hills. If the chairman of this board is from the government side, naturally you have played into the hands of the government!" an angry Dorjee said.

The CPRM also sounded upset and said that the mandate has been misused by the GJM in signing an agreement that was not borne out by the Constitution. "The people of Darjeeling should now rise and demand Gorkhaland instead of meekly accepting what the GJM doles out for them," said Tara Rai, general secretary of CPRM. He added that because it could not identify with the political issues at play before the elections, the CPRM stayed away from the polls this time.
__TOI