Fourteen members of the Khambu Rights Movement launched an indefinite
hunger strike at Tricone Park here today to protest against
interference by some Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskriti Sansthan members that
has allegedly delayed the creation of a Rai board.
The Khambu Rights Movement (KRM) was formed on January 16, 2013, and
it operated under the Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskriti Sansthan (KKRSS) to
demand a Scheduled Tribe status for the Rais. But the two groups started
falling apart, particularly after the KRM went whole hog on the
development board issue.
Rais and Khambus are synonyms for a single community.
"A board for the Khambus had been announced (by chief minister Mamata
Banerjee on January 22) in Darjeeling. When we went to Calcutta earlier
this month to complete certain formalities related to the formation of
the board, some opportunists associated with KKRSS in Darjeeling also
went there and claimed that they would form the board," said KRM
spokeman Manoj Rai.
"This has resulted in delay in the formation of the (Rai) board. The
delay is not affecting those who are well off but the ordinary Khambus,
who are a deprived lot," he said.
All 14 KRM members participating in the hunger strike today are from
Kalimpong subdivision. Sources said more members from other parts of the
hills were expected to join them soon.
Binesh Rai, the KRM coordinator, alleged that the KKRSS was never in
favour of a Rai development board but at a time the state government was
on the verge of setting it up, some KKRSS members were trying to lay
claim to it.
"We were shocked to learn that people, who in the past were against
the formation of a board, went to Calcutta and demanded that they be
allowed to form one. We are totally against these people. We don't want
any of them in the board. We may agree to take few members of the KKRSS,
who have not spoken against the board, in the general body but none in
the executive body of the board," he said.
The KKRSS president, Tara Kumar Rai, however, claimed that they had
already formed a board with a six-member executive body, including the
chairman and vice-chairman, and 25 general body members. "The
registration has also been completed. We had submitted our list (to the
state government) about 10 days back. None of the office-bearers of the
KKRSS are in the executive body and general body of the board. The
chairman will be N.S. Rai," he said adding that he did not want to
comment on KRM's allegation.
The KRM coordinator, Binesh Rai, rubbished the KKRSS claim. "I am
cent per cent certain that the board has not been formed yet. They don't
know what they are saying," he said.(TT)
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