DARJEELING, 9 APRIL: Responding to the appeal of the Union rural
development minister Jairam Ramesh to develop the Hills, the Gorkha Jan
Mukti Morcha has decided to hold off on their agitation deadline of 9
April it had earlier given to the state and the Centre.
In a
meeting held at Rangmanch Bhavan on 7th of this month, the minister had
urged the party’s chief Mr Bimal Gurung to suspend the agitation
programmes for 5-10 years and focus on the development of the Hills
through the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
The party’s
general secretary Mr Roshan Giri, terming the meeting to be a fruitful
indication for both the party and for the Hills said: “The meeting with
the minister was fruitful. He has promised to take up with Union home
minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and other leaders the issue of delay of
transfer of departments to the GTA, while noting that the points
mentioned in the agreement will be honoured by the state and the
centre.”
The leader further said that a new date or fresh deadline
has not been decided on, adding that the party would wait to see if the
minister fulfils his promise. The GJMM has time and again been alleging
that the state government was not honouring the GTA agreement.
The
transfer of departments or providing full-fledged powers to the GTA has
not been done yet, Mr Giri added. Also the party is being hit by a
crisis, with many of their supporters have joined the ruling party
Trinamul Congress and Gorkha National Liberation Front. In the meeting
with the minister, the party’s chief Mr Bimal Gurung left no stone
unturned to criticize the Trinamul Congress leaders.
Mr Gurung
said: “The TMC leaders has been taking the support of CRPF and trying to
boost its strength in the Hills with the policy of ‘divide and
rule’.
He urged the minister for an immediate withdrawal of the Central forces
from the Hills, maintaining that the peace is being hampered after CRPF
has been deployed. The minister expressed support to the GJMM over the
issues raised by it and pledged to raise the matter with the Centre.
Mr
Giri however said they would continue torch rallies and public meetings
till 12 May to be held two days of every week in all the three
sub-divisions of the Hills.
statesman news service
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