In hills, Mamata and GJM in uneasy company

Even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tried to put up a brave face on Friday, saying that the unity of West Bengal will be kept intact, fresh trouble seems to be brewing in Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars with both Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM) and Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad threatening to launch a fresh offensive against each other over the formation of the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Inaugurating a week-long North Bengal Festival at Kanchanjunga stadium, the chief minster said she “does not support the separatist forces in the Hills, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar”. “We want unity and not division,” she said. Her remarks came shortly after GJM legislator Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who attended the inaugural ceremony, said that his party “cannot wait for an indefinite time” and would “ask the Chief Minister why the state government is not pressing to get presidential accord of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration”.

Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet GJMM leaders on Friday at NHPC bungalow in New Jalpaiguri.

“There is tremendous pressure on us from all sections in the Hills specially from the youth. We are answerable to the people of the Hills. There is euphoria on Gorkhaland issue. We cannot allow this euphoria to die,” Chhetri said when asked to comment on formation of GTA.

“What the state government has done in the last six months? Apart from giving some promises, nothing has been done by the state government. Six months have passed since the tripartite agreement was signed, but GTA has not been set up as yet. We cannot understand why the state government is not pressurizing the Centre to clear GTA Act. We know that the state government has done its work and it has certain limitations. But why is the delay? What are the reasons?. We want answers to these questions because we have to give answers to the people,” Chhetri said. 

He added: “A few other issues to be raised during tomorrow’s meeting. These include relief and monetary packages for the Hills and certain development issues. Only some money has come through Darjeeling Dorkha Autonomous Hill Council for development purpose,” Chhatry lashed out at the state government.
“ We have clearly disclosed our stand that we would wait till 27 March. A fresh movement will be launched if the GTA is not formed before that day,” Chhetry said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikash Parishad, Birsha Tirke, on the other hand threatened that movement in the plains would be intensified if “a single mouja in Terai or Doars is included in the proposed GTA”.
“The entire area in Terai and Doars are dominated by the tribal and the area is under Integrated Tribal Development Project. How does the question of inclusion of moujas from Terai and Doars in GTA comes?” he said, adding, his party would start anti GTA movement by organizing a grand cycle rally 13 February. “The GJMM is indulging in data jerglary by staking false claim that Nepali speaking people are dominating 398 moujas,” Tirke added.

Source: indianexpress.com