Intel report reveals tension in Hills

KOLKATA/ Jayanta Gupta/ TNN: After going through intelligence reports, the Centre doesn't seem to share the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's (GJM) or the state government's enthusiasm about Saturday's oath-taking of the elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Authority (GTA).

Sources at the state secretariat revealed that Governor M K Narayanan spoke to DGP Naparajit Mukherjee and chief secretary Samar Ghosh on the situation in Darjeeling on Wednesday. According to intelligence reports, there is considerable tension in the Hills and even the top GJM leadership is not seeing eye to eye on certain issues. There is also discontentment among some retired IAS officers as they have not been given the prominence they desired.

"The Governor will attend the oath-taking ceremony in Darjeeling on Saturday. But before he goes there, he wanted to know about the situation there. It is possible that he has been briefed about the intelligence reports that the Centre received. It is still not confirmed whether Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde will attend the ceremony," the source revealed.

Apart from stating that "finances will be a major problem in the near future", the report also points to the possibility of Gorkhaland demand being raised by organizations like the GTF, ABGL and CPRM. While the Centre has cleared Rs 200 crore and another Rs 50 crore is due from the state, there is further demand from the GJM to transfer budget allocations for state departments such as forests on a pro rata basis. The GJM leadership believes that the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council failed as it didn't ask for a share from these budgets. On the other hand, no rule of business has yet been framed for the GTA. GJM leaders have also indicated that they are not keen to have audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General," the report states.

The report also points to demands of Gorkhaland being raised by organizations like the GTF, ABGL and CPRM. In the near future, this issue will be used to build support against Bimal Gurung. Personnel of the Gorkhaland Police - which was formed by Gurung by training unemployed youths - are also in the lurch as the assurances of jobs have fallen flat. There is also simmering tension in the Dooars where the Gorkha population is feeling lat down. Splinter groups in the Hills may foment trouble there resulting in ethnic violence.

"Though the GJM has got a practical walkover in the GTA elections, other political groups may join the fray before long and raise objections against the elected members," the report states.