GJM's Submissions for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas of the Terai and the Dooars under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Darjeeling, Oct. 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today started making submissions before the chairperson of the joint verification committee, which has been set up to look into the party’s demand to bring the Gorkha-dominated areas of the Terai and the Dooars under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

Morcha representatives from the Kolabari and Kadamtala areas of Matigara block in Siliguri subdivision were the first to make submissions before Darjeeling district magistrate Saumitra Mohan, saying they wanted to be part of the GTA that is going to be set up for the hills.

K.K. Chhetri, who led the Kadamtala delegation that claimed to be speaking for the area, said: “Nepali-speaking people constitute 80 per cent of the population in the Kadamtala area of Matigara and two Morcha leaders won the gram panchayat elections in 2009. This is a clear indication that the people of the area want to be included in the GTA.”

The two Morcha gram panchayat members of Bhanu Nagar and Chandamary, Binita Tamang and Sudha Tamang, were also part of Chhetri’s delegation.

Submissions can be made by anyone till October 31 in the offices of the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.

Submissions can also be made before the sub-divisional officers of Siliguri in Darjeeling district and Malbazar in Jalpaiguri.

Dawa Lama, the president of the Morcha’s Darjeeling subdivisional committee, said: “The party had decided to make the submissions from today. More of our representatives from various areas would be coming to Darjeeling tomorrow to make submissions.”

The submissions have to be made in triplicate and must be addressed to the Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen, who is the chairperson of the high powered government committee that is looking into the Morcha demand.

The Morcha wants 196 mouzas each from the Dooars and the Terai, which it believes is dominated by the Nepali-speaking population, to be included in the new set-up.

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, however, is opposing transfer of even an inch of the region.

Last week, during a visit to the Dooars, Mamata Banerjee had appealed to the tribals to take their case to the committee. “They (Morcha) have the right to make a demand, so do you. They will plead their case. You plead your case before the committee,” she had said.

The final decision on the mouzas is likely to be taken by the 10-member committee by February, following which elections and formation of the GTA will take place.

Apart from Sen, four Morcha representatives are part of the committee as are the district magistrates of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, a representative of the state home department and the director of census from the Centre.

Anil Verma, the administrator of the DGHC, has been made the co-ordinator of the committee.

Sources said apart from seeking public opinion on the transfer of the plains areas to the GTA, the director of census had also been asked to submit detailed mouza-wise population break-up as early as possible.

Depending on the submissions, the committee is likely to make a spot visit to assess the situation. “In the plains, every Morcha supporter has started sporting party flags on their houses to show the party strength,” said Padma Rai, a member of the Nari Morcha from Kadamtala.

VIVEK CHHETRI/TT