Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) central committee named Mohan Ghisingh, the youngest son of Subash Ghisingh as the new party president of GNLF.
Some leaders in Darjeeling Hills have expressed doubts on the fate the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in Hill politics after the demise of Subash Ghisingh, the party’s founder.
Meanwhile, central committee members of the party today held a brief meeting and adopted a resolution that Mr Ghisingh’s son, Mohan Ghisingh, will function as the president of the party.
Political observers and a section of the leaders said that the immediate
decision to select Mr Ghisingh’s son as the party president was a “good move” as it avoids a split in the party.
Addressing media persons at the Bagdogra Airport here today, GNLF general secretary Mahendra Chhetri announced the name of Mohan Ghisingh as the successor to the late Mr Ghisingh.
“Ghisingh sahab supported the Trinamul Congress in the last parliamentary elections by keeping in mind several political equations, including his protection and his party’s existence in the Hills. Now, the question is how the Trinamul will increase its organizational strength in the Hills in his absence, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is still a powerful party,” a former GNLF leader, who was at Bagdogra today, said.
“GJMM has the upper hand now in the absence of Mr Ghisingh,” the leader said.
Mr Chhetri, meanwhile, said that under Mohan Ghisingh’s leadership, party activists and leaders will continue their movement and demand implementation of the Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling Hills.
“We will start a movement, demanding rural polls for the (erstwhile) Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), as the state conducts polls in the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is illegal and it does not have constitutional guarantee. But in the papers and according to the Constitution, the DGHC still exists because it was formed after amending the Constitution of India, while there is still no such amendment for the GTA,” Mr Chhetri said.
Mohan Ghisingh, meanwhile, said that he was unaware of the party’s decision to make him the president.
“I am in a disturbed state of mind. Let me discuss the matter with party leaders before I comment on this,” he told reporters at the airport.
“Everyone has agreed to the decision to select Mohan Ghisingh as the new party chief,” said NB Pradhan, a former councillor of the DGHC.
“It is high time the GNLF fights back to revive itself under Mohan Ghisingh. This is a judicious selection,” said Dawa Norbula, a Congress leader in the Hills.
According to political observers, though he lacks the qualities of his father, the decision to choose Mohan Ghisingh was “excellent” as it will maintain unity among the leaders and help manage factional feud.
“Had the party’s central committee not announced the name of his son, leaders would have started fighting among themselves to become the party chief,” some leaders said at the airport.
The founder of the Darjeeling Dooars United Development Foundation, Mahendra P Lama said: “The decision to nominate Mohan Ghishing as the party president is good. Time will tell what the party has in store. But the present decision was correct.”
Mr Lama, who came to pay Mr Ghisingh his last respect, added: “Unity among the Hill parties is a must to achieve their goals--a separate state of Gorkhaland. We have to wait for the time.” (sns)
Meanwhile, central committee members of the party today held a brief meeting and adopted a resolution that Mr Ghisingh’s son, Mohan Ghisingh, will function as the president of the party.
Political observers and a section of the leaders said that the immediate
decision to select Mr Ghisingh’s son as the party president was a “good move” as it avoids a split in the party.
Addressing media persons at the Bagdogra Airport here today, GNLF general secretary Mahendra Chhetri announced the name of Mohan Ghisingh as the successor to the late Mr Ghisingh.
“Ghisingh sahab supported the Trinamul Congress in the last parliamentary elections by keeping in mind several political equations, including his protection and his party’s existence in the Hills. Now, the question is how the Trinamul will increase its organizational strength in the Hills in his absence, as the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is still a powerful party,” a former GNLF leader, who was at Bagdogra today, said.
“GJMM has the upper hand now in the absence of Mr Ghisingh,” the leader said.
Mr Chhetri, meanwhile, said that under Mohan Ghisingh’s leadership, party activists and leaders will continue their movement and demand implementation of the Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling Hills.
“We will start a movement, demanding rural polls for the (erstwhile) Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), as the state conducts polls in the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is illegal and it does not have constitutional guarantee. But in the papers and according to the Constitution, the DGHC still exists because it was formed after amending the Constitution of India, while there is still no such amendment for the GTA,” Mr Chhetri said.
Mohan Ghisingh, meanwhile, said that he was unaware of the party’s decision to make him the president.
“I am in a disturbed state of mind. Let me discuss the matter with party leaders before I comment on this,” he told reporters at the airport.
“Everyone has agreed to the decision to select Mohan Ghisingh as the new party chief,” said NB Pradhan, a former councillor of the DGHC.
“It is high time the GNLF fights back to revive itself under Mohan Ghisingh. This is a judicious selection,” said Dawa Norbula, a Congress leader in the Hills.
According to political observers, though he lacks the qualities of his father, the decision to choose Mohan Ghisingh was “excellent” as it will maintain unity among the leaders and help manage factional feud.
“Had the party’s central committee not announced the name of his son, leaders would have started fighting among themselves to become the party chief,” some leaders said at the airport.
The founder of the Darjeeling Dooars United Development Foundation, Mahendra P Lama said: “The decision to nominate Mohan Ghishing as the party president is good. Time will tell what the party has in store. But the present decision was correct.”
Mr Lama, who came to pay Mr Ghisingh his last respect, added: “Unity among the Hill parties is a must to achieve their goals--a separate state of Gorkhaland. We have to wait for the time.” (sns)
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