Siliguri, 7 August: The senior leaders of the non-GJMM political parties operating in the
Darjeeling Hills have opined that the state government must act with
circumspection while dealing with the emotive statehood movement now
going on in full steam.
The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists president, Mr R B Rai said the present situation in the Hills would further worsen if the state government, bolstered by today’s Calcutta High Court directive, tries to run roughshod over the emotional susceptibilities of the Hill people by taking recourse to stern administrative measures. “This is not a problem to be dealt with on the plane of law and order. True, nearly 90 per cent of the Hill people are in trouble due to the indefinite shutdown. But it would be wrong to view things from the surface. It is a case of cauldron of long pent-up emotions having burst out. They are strongly inclined to undergo suffering taking this as penance for a better future. Yet, we wonder how long the people will put up with things with larders being exhausted. The plight of wage earners is the most pathetic. How they would sustain themselves is a question we all should ponder over,” he said.
Defending the democratic right to call strike as part of a peaceful movement, the CPRM leader said nothing should be done to gag the collective voice of the Hill people. “The chief minister should desist from ramming things down on our gullet. The stalemate can end if she tackles the tangle with love and understanding,” he added.
The All India Gorkha League vice president, Mr Laxman Pradhan echoed the view, saying it would backfire if the state government proceeds to choke the collective emotion of the people in the vain belief that it is a mere law and order problem.
“Application of excessive force to crush the spontaneous oomph sustaining the dragging movement would be counter-productive. It is true that the indefinite shutdown is landing the people, particularly the poor, in trouble. But it does not mean that they would welcome the state bullying them into submission,” he added.
The Hill-based CPI-M leader, Mr K B Watter, said the state’s administrative machinery is deluding itself into believing that stern measures would crush the spirit out of the statehood movement.
“People even if they are not favourably inclined to the continuing bandh would put up with it as defying it would invite vendetta from those who are calling the shots,” he said.
“The Central forces might be deployed in front of the government offices, but it would be suicidal on the part of the state government to force the common people go against the momentum of the statehood movement,” he also said.
“This is despite the fact that over 80 per cent of the people here live from hand to mouth. They have been leaving the strike-stuck Hills for Nepal, Sikkim and in Siliguri to earn a living. Yet, this trend should not embolden the state government to go all out against the ongoing movement for statehood,” he opined.
The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists president, Mr R B Rai said the present situation in the Hills would further worsen if the state government, bolstered by today’s Calcutta High Court directive, tries to run roughshod over the emotional susceptibilities of the Hill people by taking recourse to stern administrative measures. “This is not a problem to be dealt with on the plane of law and order. True, nearly 90 per cent of the Hill people are in trouble due to the indefinite shutdown. But it would be wrong to view things from the surface. It is a case of cauldron of long pent-up emotions having burst out. They are strongly inclined to undergo suffering taking this as penance for a better future. Yet, we wonder how long the people will put up with things with larders being exhausted. The plight of wage earners is the most pathetic. How they would sustain themselves is a question we all should ponder over,” he said.
Defending the democratic right to call strike as part of a peaceful movement, the CPRM leader said nothing should be done to gag the collective voice of the Hill people. “The chief minister should desist from ramming things down on our gullet. The stalemate can end if she tackles the tangle with love and understanding,” he added.
The All India Gorkha League vice president, Mr Laxman Pradhan echoed the view, saying it would backfire if the state government proceeds to choke the collective emotion of the people in the vain belief that it is a mere law and order problem.
“Application of excessive force to crush the spontaneous oomph sustaining the dragging movement would be counter-productive. It is true that the indefinite shutdown is landing the people, particularly the poor, in trouble. But it does not mean that they would welcome the state bullying them into submission,” he added.
The Hill-based CPI-M leader, Mr K B Watter, said the state’s administrative machinery is deluding itself into believing that stern measures would crush the spirit out of the statehood movement.
“People even if they are not favourably inclined to the continuing bandh would put up with it as defying it would invite vendetta from those who are calling the shots,” he said.
“The Central forces might be deployed in front of the government offices, but it would be suicidal on the part of the state government to force the common people go against the momentum of the statehood movement,” he also said.
“This is despite the fact that over 80 per cent of the people here live from hand to mouth. They have been leaving the strike-stuck Hills for Nepal, Sikkim and in Siliguri to earn a living. Yet, this trend should not embolden the state government to go all out against the ongoing movement for statehood,” he opined.
SNS
Kurseong people for bandh
Kurseong, 7 August
The opinion of the common people across Kurseong sub-division regarding the dragging shutdown and today’s Calcutta High Court directive asking the state government to ensure law and order and to keep open the essential services, including the educational institutions in the Hills, is fractured. While the majority said the state government should desist from breaking the bandh with force a few others said the principal party in the Hills should find out means other than the indefinite shutdown to carry on with the struggle for
statehood.
A local resident, Mr Asoke Pradhan, said they are with the GJMM on the emotive issue of Gorkhaland. “But it is not right on the part of Bimal Gurung to have asked the students studying from the boarding schools to leave the Hills and go back home. We are worried about the education of our children. The Calcutta High Court’s intervention is commendable. We feel the educational institutions should be exempted from the purview of the bandh, particularly when the latter drags on,” he added.
But another local, Mr Vikram Lama, said that the Calcutta High Court directive militates against the democratic right to dissent. “It is clear, given our experiences, that the government does not act unless pressure is put on it by means like violence and indefinite shutdown. This is how things are being run in the country. If the High Court order is enforced, it would amount to trampling of the democratic rights and the situation might spiral out of control,” he added.
An elderly person said the GJMM should find out an alternative to ramming indefinite shutdown down the Hills. “It would be better if they take recourse to less drastic but equally effective means like hunger strike, padhyatra and the like to press for the demand. This would pile pressure on the power that be and, at the same time, the people would be happy as they would be allowed to carry on their daily chores,” he said.
The opinion of the common people across Kurseong sub-division regarding the dragging shutdown and today’s Calcutta High Court directive asking the state government to ensure law and order and to keep open the essential services, including the educational institutions in the Hills, is fractured. While the majority said the state government should desist from breaking the bandh with force a few others said the principal party in the Hills should find out means other than the indefinite shutdown to carry on with the struggle for
statehood.
A local resident, Mr Asoke Pradhan, said they are with the GJMM on the emotive issue of Gorkhaland. “But it is not right on the part of Bimal Gurung to have asked the students studying from the boarding schools to leave the Hills and go back home. We are worried about the education of our children. The Calcutta High Court’s intervention is commendable. We feel the educational institutions should be exempted from the purview of the bandh, particularly when the latter drags on,” he added.
But another local, Mr Vikram Lama, said that the Calcutta High Court directive militates against the democratic right to dissent. “It is clear, given our experiences, that the government does not act unless pressure is put on it by means like violence and indefinite shutdown. This is how things are being run in the country. If the High Court order is enforced, it would amount to trampling of the democratic rights and the situation might spiral out of control,” he added.
An elderly person said the GJMM should find out an alternative to ramming indefinite shutdown down the Hills. “It would be better if they take recourse to less drastic but equally effective means like hunger strike, padhyatra and the like to press for the demand. This would pile pressure on the power that be and, at the same time, the people would be happy as they would be allowed to carry on their daily chores,” he said.
Source- The statesmen
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