Under attack, Gurung not to put own sign

Kolkata,Sun Jul 17 2011/IE : Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung will not be a signatory to the Memorandum of Agreement on formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) for Darjeeling, to be signed on Monday, though he will attend the ceremony. Instead, the party’s general secretary, Roshan Giri, will sign the MoA. According to GJM sources, Gurung is not only opting out of the signing but will not be directly involved either with the board of administrators that will run the interim set-up in Darjeeling hills, till election to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is held.
Gurung’s move follows the criticism levelled at him for dropping the demand for a separate state and for accepting the interim arrangement. Like a previous tripartite agreement, this MoA too would have a written assurance from the GJM leadership not to raise the separate statehood demand.  

By not signing on the dotted line, Gurung appears to be sending a message to the Gorkha people that he is keeping the option of a statehood demand open.
Many in Darjeeling have compared the GTA to the earlier Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, barring some cosmetic changes.
In various interactions in the past couple of weeks, Gurung has been emphasising that the GTA is a step forward towards achieving the ultimate goal of a separate state and not a “sell-out”, as many allege. Incidentally, in 1988, the Gorkha National Liberation Front chief Subash Ghisingh had signed the MoU that led to formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. 

GJM spokesman Benoy Tamang confirmed that Giri and not Gurung would be signing the pact. The Home Secretary will sign the document for Bengal while the Centre will be represented by the Union Home Secretary.
Tamang said the final touches were being given for the momentous event at a village near Sukna and expected not less than 50,000 people to attend. Home Minister P Chidambaram will be present along with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.