GJMM’s state of mind has changed: Deb

Siliguri, 20 October
At a time when the north Bengal development minister Mr Gautam Deb appreciated the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s apparent softening of stance over the Gorkhaland issue, the GJMM chief, Mr Bimal Gurung, today visited Kamaksha Temple in Assam and offered a prayer to fulfil the Gorkha people’s dream.
Interacting with the reporters in Siliguri today, Mr Gautam Deb said that the GJMM’s state of mind has changed with the passage of time.
Apparently, the GJMM leadership has changed strategies and even decided to resume normal functioning of the GTA just ahead of chief minister Ms Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Darjeeling Hills from 23 October.   Sources said the GTA sabha members would hold a meeting and delegate power to the deputy chief executive officer in absence of the newly elected chief executive, Mr Binay Tamang, who is still behind bars.
Notably, Mr Bimal Gurung, posted his view on his Facebook account on 7 October where he made his stand clear on the Gorkhaland issue.
He said: “Gorkhaland agitation will be geared up through dialogue. I want no violence in the name of Gorkhaland.  In December, the agitation will be staged in Delhi and one lakh Gorkha people will go there to pressure the Centre for Gorkhaland.”
 “Dialogue is the only way to resolve the problem of the Hills. The Government must understand that,” Mr Gurung added.  However, quoting GJMM general secretary, Mr Roshan Giri’s willingness to resolve the present crisis in the Hills through dialogue with the state government, Mr Deb said: “Our government is sincere and committed to bring in development for the Hills. Good sense prevailed and the chief minister has been visiting the Hills on several occasions for development. Hill people support her visit.”
“We want the development of the Hills through the GTA," he added.  However, Mr Deb said he had no information when asked about the meeting of the three GJMM MLAs and the chief minister during her visit to Hills.(SNS)

 Deb stress on Morcha talks

Siliguri, Oct. 20: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb today welcomed the initiative taken by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to start talks with the government and said the state was always ready to sort out any issue through dialogues.

“The good sense of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders has prevailed and they are now ready to meet chief minister Mamata Banerjee and start a dialogue as they have changed with the times,” Deb told journalists at the PWD inspection bungalow here today.

He, however, did not say if the Morcha leaders had sought an appointment with the chief minister or when the meeting was likely to be held.

Deb’s reaction came a day after H.B. Chhetri, Rohit Sharma and Trilok Dewan, the MLAs from Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling respectively, held a meeting with Trinamul leader Mukul Roy in Calcutta.

“We have never said that we are not going to talk with the Morcha leaders as the state government, instead of getting involved in any sort of confrontation, is always ready to expedite development work with everybody’s involvement,” he said today.

“After the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the chief minister’s relentless efforts for developing the hills through various programmes and her frequent visits to the area in the past two-and-half-years, we got huge support from the residents of the hills. The Morcha leaders have perhaps realised that they should also get involved in developing the region through the GTA and they have expressed their willingness to go with the government,” he added.

The minister was tight-lipped about the MLAs meeting the chief minister.

“I cannot comment on the meeting or when they will get an appointment to meet the chief minister. I am busy with the preparation for the first public meeting of our party in Darjeeling,” Deb, also the president of Trinamul’s Darjeeling district committee, said.

Trinamul’s meeting would be held at Chowrastha in Darjeeling on October 24.

Today, Deb met representatives of different tribal communities in the hills including the Bhutia, Tamang, Gurung and Dukpa.

Trinamul sources said the representatives had sought an appointment with the chief minister and Deb told them that an appointment could be fixed only after CM’s administrative meeting that was supposed to be held at the NBU on October 22 evening.(TT)