Kalimpong, Feb. 17.TT: Chhatrey Subba has ruled out joining the Gorkhaland Task Force but would welcome its support in his fight for Gorkhaland.
The GTF, an organisation of five outfits opposed to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, was formed last year to lobby for statehood. Chhatrey, the president of the now dormant Gorkha Liberation Organisation, said not all in the GTF were true soldiers of Gorkhaland.
“I had not thought of starting an agitation for Gorkhaland after looking at the task force. If they want to lend their help to my struggle for Gorkahland, they are welcome to do so. However, not all in the task force are the right sort of people,” he said.
The GTF, which is made up of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, ABGL, CPRM, Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and the GNLF (C), has been touring the northeastern states for the past few weeks to garner support for Gorkhaland.
Following the recent spat between Morcha president Bimal Gurung and Chhatrey, the GTF had reportedly asked the veteran Gorkha leader to join its “non-violent” struggle for Gorkhaland.
But Subba, who was the chief of the Gorkha Volunteer Cell — the militant wing of the GNLF during the Subash Ghisingh-led Gorkhaland movement of the 1980s — complained that there was a lack of accomplished political leaders in the hills and people committed to the cause. “It is my duty to fight for Gorkhaland,” he said.
Immediately after his release from jail in early September, the 71-year-old Subba had hinted that he would quit politics owing to his old age. But since then, he seems to have had a change of heart and expressed his willingness to lead the agitation for Gorkhaland, provided he got the support of the people. Chhatrey had been in jail for more than a decade for allegedly masterminding an assassination bid on GNLF chief Ghisingh.
“If I don’t get the support (of the people), I can’t do anything,” he said last week. In fact, over the past few days, Chhatrey has been engaged in a verbal duel with the Morcha president.
Chhatrey said the Morcha could not be expected to lead an agitation for Gorkhaland since it had already settled for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
“How can the Morcha violate the pact (GTA) it willingly signed and start a movement for Gorkhaland? Nobody seems to be aware of this,” he said.
Chhatrey also accused the Sikkim government of helping the Morcha, despite knowing fully well that it had compromised on Gorkhaland.
Chhatrey’s wife Monica accused the state government of remaining silent on her complaint against the Morcha president who, she said, had openly threatened her husband at a meeting in Sibchu on February 8.
“I had lodged a complaint with the Kalimpong police against the threat issued by the Morcha president but it has not been acted upon,” she said.
Using the metaphor of an eagle pouncing on a chicken, Gurung had warned Chhatrey at the Sibchu public meeting that he would be picked up in the same manner if he were to create violence in Kalimpong. The Morcha president, however, had also said that perpetrators of violence would then be handed over to the government.
Sources in Kalimpong police confirmed receiving a complaint from Monica. “We registered a general diary on the basis of her complaint and forwarded it to the Nagarkata police station in Jalpaiguri since Sibchu falls under its jurisdiction. There was nothing actionable in the complaint,” said a source.
Jalpaiguri police chief Sugata Sen said he was yet to receive any such complaint. “So far as my knowledge goes, the complaint has not yet come,” he said over the phone.
The GTF, an organisation of five outfits opposed to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, was formed last year to lobby for statehood. Chhatrey, the president of the now dormant Gorkha Liberation Organisation, said not all in the GTF were true soldiers of Gorkhaland.
“I had not thought of starting an agitation for Gorkhaland after looking at the task force. If they want to lend their help to my struggle for Gorkahland, they are welcome to do so. However, not all in the task force are the right sort of people,” he said.
The GTF, which is made up of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang, ABGL, CPRM, Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and the GNLF (C), has been touring the northeastern states for the past few weeks to garner support for Gorkhaland.
Following the recent spat between Morcha president Bimal Gurung and Chhatrey, the GTF had reportedly asked the veteran Gorkha leader to join its “non-violent” struggle for Gorkhaland.
But Subba, who was the chief of the Gorkha Volunteer Cell — the militant wing of the GNLF during the Subash Ghisingh-led Gorkhaland movement of the 1980s — complained that there was a lack of accomplished political leaders in the hills and people committed to the cause. “It is my duty to fight for Gorkhaland,” he said.
Immediately after his release from jail in early September, the 71-year-old Subba had hinted that he would quit politics owing to his old age. But since then, he seems to have had a change of heart and expressed his willingness to lead the agitation for Gorkhaland, provided he got the support of the people. Chhatrey had been in jail for more than a decade for allegedly masterminding an assassination bid on GNLF chief Ghisingh.
“If I don’t get the support (of the people), I can’t do anything,” he said last week. In fact, over the past few days, Chhatrey has been engaged in a verbal duel with the Morcha president.
Chhatrey said the Morcha could not be expected to lead an agitation for Gorkhaland since it had already settled for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
“How can the Morcha violate the pact (GTA) it willingly signed and start a movement for Gorkhaland? Nobody seems to be aware of this,” he said.
Chhatrey also accused the Sikkim government of helping the Morcha, despite knowing fully well that it had compromised on Gorkhaland.
Chhatrey’s wife Monica accused the state government of remaining silent on her complaint against the Morcha president who, she said, had openly threatened her husband at a meeting in Sibchu on February 8.
“I had lodged a complaint with the Kalimpong police against the threat issued by the Morcha president but it has not been acted upon,” she said.
Using the metaphor of an eagle pouncing on a chicken, Gurung had warned Chhatrey at the Sibchu public meeting that he would be picked up in the same manner if he were to create violence in Kalimpong. The Morcha president, however, had also said that perpetrators of violence would then be handed over to the government.
Sources in Kalimpong police confirmed receiving a complaint from Monica. “We registered a general diary on the basis of her complaint and forwarded it to the Nagarkata police station in Jalpaiguri since Sibchu falls under its jurisdiction. There was nothing actionable in the complaint,” said a source.
Jalpaiguri police chief Sugata Sen said he was yet to receive any such complaint. “So far as my knowledge goes, the complaint has not yet come,” he said over the phone.
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