Addressing a public meeting in Darjeeling that drew lukewarm response, Pathak said the "poriborton" the TMC is harping on is a farce. "The state is in utter chaos. There is no democracy, women-folk are unsafe and rampant corruption is the order of the day. Where is the 'poriborton' that the TMC is talking about?"
He also alleged that the TMC was using state machinery to curb the voice of the people and rival parties. "People get arrested for expressing their thoughts. Political parties are intimidated by the TMC using state machinery. And the TMC defends its action in the name of law and order, which is utter nonsense," said Pathak, referring to the arrests of GJM leaders and activists during the last round of statehood agitation in August-September 2013.
In the same breath, the CPM leader also castigated the BJP for playing with the sentiments of the hills. "Five years ago, the BJP gave false promises to the people here to gain an extra seat in Parliament. And the same thing is being repeated. The BJP is only using the statehood demand as a weapon to fulfill its election interests," said Pathak, while urging people to cast their votes consciously and not based on sentiments.
He suggested the problems plaguing the hills were political in nature and needed a permanent resolution. To achieve this, the Sixth Schedule must be implemented after amending article 244 of the Constitution, according to the CPM candidate.
CPM district secretariat member KB Wattar, on the other hand, said the hills have been betrayed since ages by various leaders and the time has now come to support a candidate whose integrity is doubtless.
"We have never fielded 'borrowed' candidates. Pathak is a 'bhumiputra' with a clean image and a worker's background. We must make him victorious for the overall development of the hills," said Wattar.
Among the several issues included in its election agenda, the CPM wants minority status to be provided to the Gorkhas to safeguard their political identity, their representation in the Planning Commission, re-organisation of the present eight blocks in the hills and making Darjeeling a tax free zone.
Meanwhile, a silent rally was organized from Chowrastha to the Clubside area in town in support of independent candidate Mahendra P Lama this morning. The GJM, meantime, has said it will hold a massive public meeting in Darjeeling town on April 13. (EOIC)