The ripples of the Centre’s move to carve two Union territories out of
Jammu and Kashmir were felt in far-away Darjeeling with almost all hill
parties renewing the pitch for a Gorkhaland state.
As the issue
of separation of the hills from Bengal got a new lease of life, the
Binay Tamang camp of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha issued a statement
saying that “in the interest of national security, the BJP must create
Gorkhaland”.
The Tamang camp is an ally of the ruling Trinamul, which opposes the statehood.
Tamang
has been raising the statehood demand since his camp’s defeat to the
combine of the Morcha’s Bimal Gurung group, BJP and the GNLF in the
Darjeeling Lok Sabha and Assembly seats this year.
“Against the wishes of the common people of Jammu and Kashmir, the
BJP government bifurcated the state. Senior leaders (of Kashmir) were
put under house arrest. This political development suggests the BJP
government can do whatever they wish,” Tamang said in the statement,
adding that a meeting would be held after Independence Day to chalk out
the future course of action on the issue.
The general tone of
Tamang’s statement, however, gave an impression that the camp is trying
to corner the BJP-Morcha (Gurung camp)-GNLF alliance. “Bimal Gurung,
Roshan Giri, Raju Bista, GNLF and all those who supported the alliance
should come clear on their stand and put pressure on the BJP government
for a favourable decision on Gorkhaland,” said Tamang.
Giri posted
a statement of Gurung on social media welcoming the Centre’s decision
on Kashmir. “Since the decision on Article 370 is in the interest of
national security and unity, we welcome the decision taken in the
interest of the nation.”
“The decision will stop infiltration into
Kashmir from Pakistan. A similar situation exists in Bengal. We are
worried that infiltration from Bangladesh into Bengal could create
another Kashmir,” Gurung’s statement said.
Demanding a National
Register of Citizen (NRC) in Bengal, Gurung said: “I would like to
appeal to the Centre that to provide justice to nationalist Gorkhas, the
proposed Gorkhaland area should be brought under Centre’s
administration, like in Kashmir.”
The GNLF and ABGL (Pratap Khati
camp) also welcomed the Kashmir decision, hoping a solution to the
Darjeeling problem would soon be worked out.
Jana Andolan Party
leader Amar Lama did not comment specifically on the merger but said
“today’s development suggests that if Parliament wants, any decision can
be taken”.
https://www.telegraphindia.com
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