SILIGURI: Development over Telangana issue may reignite the fire of aggressive separate statehood demand soon in Darjeeling hills, apparently cool at present under political sheath created by West Bengal Chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee. The renewed movement may cause yet another rift within the just developed friendship between Gorkhaland activist Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM) and Miss Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress(TMC).
"Passing out of Telengana bill proves that process of formation of separate state can be carried on by center without any state's involvement. Thus we want Center to initiate formation of Gorkhaland, no matter what West Bengal says," said Mr. Roshan Giri, General Secretary of GJM.
Going one step further, GJM Chief Mr. Bimal Gurung has called an emergent meeting of GJM top leaders on the 20th February to finalize the future course of action. The party will also organize public rally on 21st at many places in hills.
Now the largest question in front of GJM is to decide whether to start fierce movement in favour of separate statehood for Darjeeling in the name of Gorkhaland and face the days of turmoil again. Or continuing with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, formed in 2011 while enjoying power and comfort. GJM came to the power of GTA under indirect support of TMC.
GJM, that had its upraise over Gorkhaland sentiment of a large section of hill dwellers, is always under political pressure from within the party to continue with the statehood demand. At the same time, the leaders have always been interested to remain in good book of WB CM on many reasons. Investigation of many criminal or civil cases against GJM leaders were seen to come on surface or sink under files coinciding with the ups and down of apparent friendship between GJM and TMC. On financial front of GTA too, GJM is largely dependent on WB state government.
However, "By developing friendship with GJM, TMC had almost composed its electoral game plan for at least 3 Lok Sabha seats in northern West Bengal with significant number of Gorkha voters. That composition will get shattered if Gorkhaland movement starts resurfacing," said political observers.
Making things worse for the state, the renewed Gorkhaland movement will instigate Tribal communities, another major demographic contributor of the region, also to restart their old movement for autonomy.
"Passing out of Telengana bill proves that process of formation of separate state can be carried on by center without any state's involvement. Thus we want Center to initiate formation of Gorkhaland, no matter what West Bengal says," said Mr. Roshan Giri, General Secretary of GJM.
Going one step further, GJM Chief Mr. Bimal Gurung has called an emergent meeting of GJM top leaders on the 20th February to finalize the future course of action. The party will also organize public rally on 21st at many places in hills.
Now the largest question in front of GJM is to decide whether to start fierce movement in favour of separate statehood for Darjeeling in the name of Gorkhaland and face the days of turmoil again. Or continuing with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, formed in 2011 while enjoying power and comfort. GJM came to the power of GTA under indirect support of TMC.
GJM, that had its upraise over Gorkhaland sentiment of a large section of hill dwellers, is always under political pressure from within the party to continue with the statehood demand. At the same time, the leaders have always been interested to remain in good book of WB CM on many reasons. Investigation of many criminal or civil cases against GJM leaders were seen to come on surface or sink under files coinciding with the ups and down of apparent friendship between GJM and TMC. On financial front of GTA too, GJM is largely dependent on WB state government.
However, "By developing friendship with GJM, TMC had almost composed its electoral game plan for at least 3 Lok Sabha seats in northern West Bengal with significant number of Gorkha voters. That composition will get shattered if Gorkhaland movement starts resurfacing," said political observers.
Making things worse for the state, the renewed Gorkhaland movement will instigate Tribal communities, another major demographic contributor of the region, also to restart their old movement for autonomy.
ET Bureau
After Telangana, GJM now presses for Gorkhaland's creation
Kolkata : With the Lok Sabha Tuesday passing a bill to create a separate Telangana, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung urged the central government to consider the demand for the separate state of Gorkhaland.
"Today's passage of the Telengana bill makes it clear that the state's consent is not necessary for its bifurcation, a fact which we have been reiterating for a long time. We would now request the centre to similarly consider the just and fair demand for separate state of Gorkhaland," he said on a social networking site.
Gurung also exuded confidence that the central government will take "an unilateral decision on creating Gorkhaland despite protest from the rest of Bengal" and observed that the Telangana bill proved that those opposing creation of smaller states wrongly argued that consent from the state assembly was essential.
"Creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland along the lines of Telangana will fulfil the long standing demand of the people of Darjeeling, Dooars and surrounding Terai regions and bring justice to the Indian Gorkhas," he added.
The GJM last year had intensified its separatist movement but it buckled under a massive crackdown by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and later adopted a reconciliatory approach seemingly putting the Gorkhaland demand on the backburner. By IANS
"Today's passage of the Telengana bill makes it clear that the state's consent is not necessary for its bifurcation, a fact which we have been reiterating for a long time. We would now request the centre to similarly consider the just and fair demand for separate state of Gorkhaland," he said on a social networking site.
Gurung also exuded confidence that the central government will take "an unilateral decision on creating Gorkhaland despite protest from the rest of Bengal" and observed that the Telangana bill proved that those opposing creation of smaller states wrongly argued that consent from the state assembly was essential.
"Creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland along the lines of Telangana will fulfil the long standing demand of the people of Darjeeling, Dooars and surrounding Terai regions and bring justice to the Indian Gorkhas," he added.
The GJM last year had intensified its separatist movement but it buckled under a massive crackdown by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and later adopted a reconciliatory approach seemingly putting the Gorkhaland demand on the backburner. By IANS