The state committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad turned away five leaders who decided to join the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Siliguri, Nov. 3: The state committee of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad today turned away five regional leaders who had been showcaused, refusing to accept any “informal” explanation on why they had decided to join the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

The Parishad state president Birsa Tirkey said no meeting could take place until the proceedings against the five leaders were completed after they replied to the showcause notices in writing.

They could even be expelled, Tirkey said, as their announcement on Sunday that they wanted the Dooars and the Terai to be part of the new set-up for the hills has not gone down well with a section of Adivasis in the region.

Tirkey said based on the replies the executive committee of the Parishad, a tribal outfit with considerable influence in north Bengal, would decide on the action to be taken against the five.

“Last year, we expelled the then regional secretary of the Dooars-Terai unit, Rajesh Lakra, on similar grounds,” Tirkey said.

Five leaders of the Parishad from the Dooars and the Terai — John Barla, Tezkumar Toppo, Sukra Munda, Joseph Hembram and Nicotin Minz — were showcaused yesterday for joining hands with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha without the consent of the state leadership. Barla was also removed from his post as the president of the Dooars-Terai unit of the outfit.

“They contacted us after their arrival today in Calcutta and said they wanted to meet us and explain the rationale behind joining hands with the Morcha. But we clearly told them that we would not do so until the proceedings against them were completed.”

Tirkey admitted that the regional leaders enjoyed much support in the Dooars and the Terai. But there would always be other “new and competent” people to fill the vacuum (if they were expelled), he said. “Our organisational base will not suffer,” Tirkey said. “Instead, it would be further strengthened as the people would be more committed to our ideology.”

The five leaders, who are also expected to attend the tripartite meeting on tea wages at the Writers’ Buildings tomorrow, said they were disappointed with the refusal of the state leadership to meet them.

“We contacted the state leadership of our party but they refused to meet us,” Toppo said.

“We will again try to meet them after the tripartite talks on the tea wages tomorrow. It is necessary to clear the confusion and explain what made us sign the pact with the Morcha. Of course, we shall reply to the show-cause notices and comply with the decision of the executive committee.”

Barla said he had not yet received the showcause notice. “We shall clarify our stand to the people of the Dooars when we hold a public meeting there on November 6,” he said.

At least three of the showcaused leaders, Toppo, Barla and Munda, will be present at the meeting as members of the Progressive Tea Workers’ Union, the labour wing of the Parishad.

Asked why leaders under glare were being allowed to attend the wage meeting, Tirkey said: “The tea wage meeting has nothing to do with the showcause. The Progressive Tea Workers’ Union is a different body and its portfolios are different.”