Gorkhaland demand still on - Inspite of GTA agreement

Anticipation of other political camps seizing the opportunity of raising the Gorkhaland demand while the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) remains busy with the implementation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has prompted the frontal
organizations of the GJM to check the advances of such political outfits by themselves raising the Gorkhaland demand, feel political observers.


Despite the GJM having signed the GTA agreement and a bill having been passed in the West Bengal Assembly for the formation of the GTA -- an autonomous administrative body, the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha (GJYM- youth wing of the GJM) has made public its decision to walk the agitation path once more.

 They will be announcing their future political programmes in a public meeting slated for December 18 in Mungpoo, 32 km from Darjeeling town.

 "We have been continuing with the Gorkhaland agitation. Time and again we have met with the GJM President Bimal Gurung asking him to continue on the agitation path. The GJM signed the GTA agreement on the request of the Government but has not dropped the demand of Gorkhaland. The GJM was floated with a single point agenda of Gorkhaland. We have asked all GJM frontal organizations to ready themselves for the agitation. We want GJM President Bimal Gurung to lead the agitation," said Priyavardhan Rai, General Secretary of GJYM .

 The Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha (GJNM- women's wing of the GJM) on Thursday declared total support to the GJYM.

 Addressing a press conference in Darjeeling, Asha Gurung, wife of Bimal Gurung and the President of GJNM said, "GTA is a resting point for Gorkhaland. We are ready to continue with the agitation. The GJM has not dropped the demand for Gorkhaland. Who knows we might achieve it in a short while from now."

 According to the GJNM, the "previous" party (GNLF) had dropped the demand of Gorkhaland. "People were not happy with the demand to incorporate the Darjeeling Hills in the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution (a demand launched by the GNLF,) hence they started agitating for a separate state under Bimal Gurung- the architect of Gorkhaland" remarked Urmila Rumba of the GJNM.

 Incidentally in 2007, the GJM floated by Bimal Gurung had managed to oust Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) from the Hills, thereby launching the Gorkhaland demand.

 Political Observers feel that that the present rambling is to prevent a rerun of the 2007- the GJM in no way would allow any other political outfit to seize the opportunity of resurrecting the Gorkhaland demand- the pivotal point of Hill politics.

 There are unconfirmed reports of a few dissident Gorkha leaders trying to regroup and float a new party. The list includes Chattrey Subba - Gorkha militant leader who has recently been acquitted in the GNLF President Subash Ghising assassination bid case; Ajay Dahal- founder member of United Gorkha Revolutionary Front;) Dawa Sherpa- former working President of the All India Gorkha League (he has been expelled from the AIGL) and others. Though all these leaders have preferred to remain tight lipped, sources claim that a new party with the agenda of Gorkhaland could be floated from Kalimpong in the near future.

 The claims of the political pundits was further substantiated with Asha Gurung's statement on Thursday "Any other political outfit wanting to support the GJYM's Gorkhaland movement can do so but will have to do it by coming under the GJM banner."
-HT