Darjeeling, 15 April: Two days ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the tell-tale Gorkhaland
legend made a comeback in Darjeeling, even as Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha
(GJMM) chief Bimal Gurung threatened to step down as the chief executive
of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Mr Gurung was addressing a rally at the motor stand here, organized to support the BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia who is contesting the Lok Sabha election here.
Criticising the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statement about never allowing Bengal’s division, he said: "Gorkhaland will be a reality and you (Mamata Banerjee) will be alive to witness it." "We are also not here to do divisive politics the way you (Mamata Banerjee) have done, to divide our Hill communities. Your Darjeeling development was limited to words only," he added, slamming Miss Banerjee’s alleged divide-and-rule policy when she formed and assured development boards for the different communities residing in the Darjeeling
Hills."Everytime you come to Darjeeling, you hurt the sentiments of the Gorkhas. You never thought of the welfare of the Gorkhas. It is our right to ask what is ours, who are you to disturb us?" the GJMM leader a crowd of around 10,000.
"The Lok Sabha election is not a topic to be discussed with you (Mamata Banerjee). We have already sent three MLA's to your writers in Kolkata. The matter at hand is to appoint a person to
represent us in the parliament in Delhi," Mr Gurung said.
"This is the reason why I did not consult with you (when the GJMM decided to support the BJP candidate for the LS polls here)."
He further threatened to quit as the GTA chief executive, and said: "She has already threatened to check on us after 17 April (after the polls). She may file court cases against us, but I am ready to sacrifice my GTA post."
He also came down heavily on Mahendra P Lama, the Independent candidate contesting the LS election from Darjeeling, for his remarks that the GJMM leaders are an ‘uneducated’ lot.
"I am okay with whatever little education I got, but tell us what your people benefitted from all the things you have learnt. I have gone down on my knees in front of the BJP to see to it that our people, including you (Lama), are free from the injustice and intolerance meted out against them," Mr Gurung said.
The leader said the “next round” of the (Gorkhaland) agitation will be held in Delhi and added there will be no strikes in the hills and no one will have to face problems in this phase of the agitation.
BJP candidate Mr Ahluwalia said that Narendra Modi has already said that the dream of the Gorkhas is “our dream.”
“I know your dream and Modi knows your dream, and the BJP will fulfill those dreams," he said.
Deb reacts to Bimal threat:North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb on Tuesday said that the state will take “necessary steps” if laws are violated while operating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and if there is a vacuum in the Hill
body. He was referring to GJMM chief Bimal Gurung’s threat to quit the GTA top post if the state mounts pressure on the GJMM leaders. Addressing a press meet in Siliguri, Mr Deb said his party ignores Mr Gurung’s comment that chief minister Mamata Banerjee “will be alive” to witness Gorkhaland being formed in Darjeeling Hills.(SNS)
Mr Gurung was addressing a rally at the motor stand here, organized to support the BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia who is contesting the Lok Sabha election here.
Criticising the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statement about never allowing Bengal’s division, he said: "Gorkhaland will be a reality and you (Mamata Banerjee) will be alive to witness it." "We are also not here to do divisive politics the way you (Mamata Banerjee) have done, to divide our Hill communities. Your Darjeeling development was limited to words only," he added, slamming Miss Banerjee’s alleged divide-and-rule policy when she formed and assured development boards for the different communities residing in the Darjeeling
Hills."Everytime you come to Darjeeling, you hurt the sentiments of the Gorkhas. You never thought of the welfare of the Gorkhas. It is our right to ask what is ours, who are you to disturb us?" the GJMM leader a crowd of around 10,000.
"The Lok Sabha election is not a topic to be discussed with you (Mamata Banerjee). We have already sent three MLA's to your writers in Kolkata. The matter at hand is to appoint a person to
represent us in the parliament in Delhi," Mr Gurung said.
"This is the reason why I did not consult with you (when the GJMM decided to support the BJP candidate for the LS polls here)."
He further threatened to quit as the GTA chief executive, and said: "She has already threatened to check on us after 17 April (after the polls). She may file court cases against us, but I am ready to sacrifice my GTA post."
He also came down heavily on Mahendra P Lama, the Independent candidate contesting the LS election from Darjeeling, for his remarks that the GJMM leaders are an ‘uneducated’ lot.
"I am okay with whatever little education I got, but tell us what your people benefitted from all the things you have learnt. I have gone down on my knees in front of the BJP to see to it that our people, including you (Lama), are free from the injustice and intolerance meted out against them," Mr Gurung said.
The leader said the “next round” of the (Gorkhaland) agitation will be held in Delhi and added there will be no strikes in the hills and no one will have to face problems in this phase of the agitation.
BJP candidate Mr Ahluwalia said that Narendra Modi has already said that the dream of the Gorkhas is “our dream.”
“I know your dream and Modi knows your dream, and the BJP will fulfill those dreams," he said.
Deb reacts to Bimal threat:North Bengal Development minister Gautam Deb on Tuesday said that the state will take “necessary steps” if laws are violated while operating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and if there is a vacuum in the Hill
body. He was referring to GJMM chief Bimal Gurung’s threat to quit the GTA top post if the state mounts pressure on the GJMM leaders. Addressing a press meet in Siliguri, Mr Deb said his party ignores Mr Gurung’s comment that chief minister Mamata Banerjee “will be alive” to witness Gorkhaland being formed in Darjeeling Hills.(SNS)
Morcha strike-shy after CM jab
Darjeeling, April 15: Bimal Gurung
today said there would be “no strikes” in the hills, the announcement
aimed at building confidence among businessmen to whom Mamata Banerjee
had directly appealed for votes on Sunday.
“Once we win the elections, we will
confine our Gorkhaland agitation to Delhi. There will be no strikes in
the hills. Just like S.S. Ahluwalia (the Morcha-backed-BJP candidate for
Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat) has rented a place in Darjeeling, we, too,
will rent a place in Delhi and camp there,” Gurung told a rally at the
Darjeeling Motor Stand.
At a campaign
rally in Siliguri on Sunday, chief minister Mamata had switched to Hindi
to connect with the Marwari business community that numbers over 80,000
in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
“Main vinti karna chahungi ke aap meherbani karkey BJP ko vote mat dijiye (I request you not to vote for the BJP),” Mamata said.
She reminded the
business community of the bandhs and strikes in the hills during last
year’s statehood protests and said the BJP was fighting the election on
the plank of dividing the state. “In case there is a law-and-order
problem, and your business gets affected, the BJP will not be able to
come to your rescue,” she said.
The Morcha, which
has a strong presence in the hills, is also cashing in on the Modi wave
to get some votes in the plains, where most voters are not in favour of
the Gorkhaland demand.
In such a
scenario, and given that a four-cornered contest has made all parties
wary about a split in votes, the Morcha, too, is trying to woo every
section of voters.
At the meeting,
Ahluwalia made repeated references to the issues of minorities such as
Christians and Tibetans, who are mostly Buddhists, in the hills.
“I have found that
Schedule Caste members who convert to Christianity lose their
privileges given to the SC community. I will definitely look into the
matter once elected to Parliament,” he said today.
The BJP candidate
said: “The Christian community is also being denied Gorkha certificates.
This should not happen and I will raise this issue also.”
Gorkha
certificates are needed for recruitment into police and armed forces as
the community enjoys relaxation in height and other physical attributes.
Apart from the
Christians, Ahluwalia also made a special mention of the Tibetan
community. He made a special request to the organisers to let him speak
again after Gurung finished his address. He had spoken before Gurung.
“I have come to
address you once again as I need to speak on an important issue. I want
to tell the Tibetan community that is scattered across the country that
their problems have not been properly raised in Parliament. I will raise
your concerns in Parliament.”
Ahluwalia has also
promised to ensure that 10 hill communities are given Schedule Tribe
status. “I give the word that these communities will be given ST
status,” said Ahluwalia.
The 10 hill communities that are vying for the ST status constitute 50 per cent of the hill population.
The state
government has already recommended to the Centre the granting of ST
status to the 10 communities. The status has to be given by the Centre.
Ahluwalia today
filed a complaint with the district election officer, alleging that
Mamata Banerjee had threatened the business community while asking them
to vote for Trinamul.(TT)