KPP to oppose the inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai in Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Siliguri, Jan. 11.TT: The Kamtapur Progressive Party today announced a movement to protest Mamata Banerjee government’s alleged bias against the Rajbangshis and oppose the inclusion of the Dooars and the Terai in the administrative arrangement for the hills.

The Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee also called a strike across the state on January 16 to protest the government’s decision to form the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

The KPP alleged that the government was only interested in the welfare of the people of the hills and was not working for the socio-economic uplift of the Rajbangshis.

“As the community was completely ignored during the Left Front rule, we had huge expectations from the new government which speaks of Ma Mati Manush. However, no step was taken by the new government to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Rajbangshis. The chief minister is only interested in the hills and the GTA; even her cabinet colleagues do not find time to listen to our grievances,” Kedarnath Sinha, the Darjeeling district committee president of the KPP, said here today.

“We have decided to hold a public meeting at Baghajatin Park here on January 16 to protest the government’s apathy,” he added.

The party that has been spearheading a movement for a separate state for the Rajbangshis wanted a clear statement from the chief minister that the Terai and the Dooars would be kept out of the GTA.

“We demand that the chief minister immediately announce that under no circumstances will the Terai and the Dooars be included in the GTA and that the government is not waiting for the recommendations of the high power committee formed to look into the issue. If the state doesn’t come clear on the issue soon, we will launch a movement and the January 16 meeting will just be a beginning,” said Sinha.

He said KLO militants who had been freed from jails would also attend the rally.

Anarul Sheikh, a central committee member of the KPP, said road blockades, rail roko, strikes and fasts would form part of the agitation.

The Bhasha Banchao Committee said the agreement between the government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to form the GTA had “opened up a Pandora’s box”.

“By signing an accord to form the GTA, the government has opened up a Pandora’s Box as many organisations are now raising similar demands. While the adivasis want the Gorkha Adivasi Territorial Administration, Muslims want the Gorkhaland Adivasi Minority Territorial Administration,” said Mukunda Majumdar, the president of the Bhasha Banchao Committee.

“We will observe a 24-hour state-wide strike on January 16 to protest the government’s soft attitude towards the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha even when its frontal organisation has revived the Gorkhaland movement. If the state continues to bow down to the Morcha, we will launch a movement from the end of this month,” he said.