The statement by Sudip Bandhopadhyaya, MP, Trinamool Congress in
the Parliament on 06.09.2013 commenting against the Union Home Minister,
Mr. Shinde meeting with the Joint Action Committee representatives and the
centre's deliberate and motivated attempts to divide West Bengal has
created a surge of protest nationwide. In a press release on behalf of Delhi GJM,
Ranjan Sharma, General Secretary says that: - Did the state Administration
inform the Union Home Minister and consult GTA before initiating the process of
Lepcha Development Council within the GTA area? Why did the state not
realize that there are several tribal communities in the hills and granting LDC
would incite faction dividing people inciting severe communal disharmony?
Is Trinamool Congress dictating terms to the Prime Minister and
the Union Home Minster, teaching what is right and what is wrong? Is the MP saying that the Prime Minister
before making decisions at its discretion, should consult Trinamool government? Such
sweeping comment in the floor of the Parliament indicates dictatorship and
stubbornness in the Trinamool government and its negative approach towards our
cause. If the W.B administration can repeatedly poke noses and interfere with the internal
administration of GTA, why cannot the Union Government sit over with
representatives of the hills and discuss problems faced by the
people and suggest solutions.
Another sweeping comment by the MP that Darjeeling has only
three assembly seats, so how can three MLA’s claim for a separate state
and there is no single Parliamentary constituency in the hills is all the
more foolish and ridiculous. Ranjan Sharma asks, who is he to dictate and
conclude that since Darjeeling has only three assembly seats and three MLA’s
cannot claim for a separate state? Is there any provison in
the Constitution of India or in any Law of the land stating that
that areas having limited Assembly and Parliamentary seats have no
right to demand a separate state? Ranjan rebuts the statement of MP
saying that Gorkhas are not talking in the air. We are demanding a separate
state under Article 3 of the Constitution of India and further on the grounds
of linguistic and cultural differences as endorsed in the report of State’s Reorganization
Commission. Our area was never a part of Bengal. Darjeeling and Tarai were
part of Nepal, Kalimpong & Dooars a
part of Bhutan. The areas were termed as
Backward Tract (1870) , Scheduled District(1874) , Part of Raajshahi Division (1912)
, Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (1935) and no Act of the Federal Legislature or of the
Provincial Legislature ever applied to an excluded area or a partially excluded
area. Darjeeling District was permanently absorbed in West Bengal in 1954
through the Absorbed Areas Act, merely on the ground of administrative
convenience and there is no clarity in the Absorbed Areas Act as to why it has
been absorbed in West Bengal. No scope, aims and objectives has been
defined in the Absorbed Areas Act and no prior consultation was done with the
stake holders when the Act was passed.
Ranjan says that the Trinamool MP needs some crash course in the history of
Darjeeling district, provisions of the Constitution and the ground reality in
the hills. It is solely because WB administration never took our issue seriously and always
turned a deaf ear, we approached the Centre. The Centre is also a party to
the Tripartite Agreement and has the locus standi to interfere and resolve the
issue. Article 73 of the Constitution also gives ample power and discretion
to the Union to resolve issues in which Parliament has power to make laws, and
the Bill of a separate state of Gorkhaland if created ,shall as per procedure ,has
to be tabled in the Parliament.
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