In Darjeeling,GJM promises end to strikes
In a last ditch effort to woo voters before the polls, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today addressed a public meeting in Darjeeling pledging the hills would never suffer a strike again.
The GJM chief was perhaps aware of the resentment among the cross section of society given the 44-day strike in August-September last year, which had disrupted life in the hills.
“There won’t be any strikes in the hills, not even a semblance of it. I admit our agitation caused problems to people but I promise we will recover the losses incurred,” claimed Gurung to a capacity crowd that had gathered at the Motor Stand area, the venue for the GJM’s last public meeting before the deadline ahead of April 17. He said all future agitations for a separate state would be concentrated in Delhi. “Supporting the BJP which is sure to come to power this time, means everything relating to our statehood demand will have to be pursued in Delhi. If necessary we will hire a house in the national capital to continue with the agitation for our cause,” he added.
He also made it a point to reach out to the estranged’ tribal and religious minority communities on the ‘Gorkhaland’ issue.
“I request the Lepcha, Tamang and Limboo and the minority Christian and Muslim communities to think about our demand before casting their votes. Remember, a separate state is also for you. In fact, I chose against supporting the Trinamool Congress to keep alive the separate state demand,” said Gurung.
Following the inroads made by the TMC in the hills after the failed second agitation for statehood, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has set-up boards for the Lepcha and Tamang communities and also promised of conferring tribal status to 10 more communities. That some of the tribal communities attended the TMC’s public meeting in Darjeeling last Sunday is a pointer towards this.
BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia too evoked the minority issue even as he said he belonged to the Sikh community. “I assure the minority communities including the Muslims and Christians that neither I nor my party is a danger to you. The central government has the power to confer tribal status and the BJP, when it comes to the Center, will ensure the status to the 10 communities of the hills. If elected I will not only be your voice in Parliament, but also fulfill your aspiration and dreams,” he said to loud cheers from of the crowd that refused to budge from the venue despite the light drizzle throughout the meeting. Ahluwalia also made mention of the Scheduled Caste community.
“Those from the SC community and have converted to Christianity are bereft of facilities they used to get earlier. This needs to be re-examined and my party will do the needful,” said the GJM-backed BJP candidate.
Trying to bust the ‘outsider’ tag, Ahluwalia said he wanted to be a legislator from Darjeeling as one of its residents and not a guest. “I rented a house in Darjeeling and only then filed my nomination papers. I want to become a resident and contest the election and not a tourist. Please don’t make me a guest but take me as a family so that I can become the bridge between the people and the government,” he said.
After the meeting, Ahluwalia left for Siliguri to meet BJP leaders and activists and will come back to Darjeeling on the poll day, said party sources.
The GJM chief was perhaps aware of the resentment among the cross section of society given the 44-day strike in August-September last year, which had disrupted life in the hills.
“There won’t be any strikes in the hills, not even a semblance of it. I admit our agitation caused problems to people but I promise we will recover the losses incurred,” claimed Gurung to a capacity crowd that had gathered at the Motor Stand area, the venue for the GJM’s last public meeting before the deadline ahead of April 17. He said all future agitations for a separate state would be concentrated in Delhi. “Supporting the BJP which is sure to come to power this time, means everything relating to our statehood demand will have to be pursued in Delhi. If necessary we will hire a house in the national capital to continue with the agitation for our cause,” he added.
He also made it a point to reach out to the estranged’ tribal and religious minority communities on the ‘Gorkhaland’ issue.
“I request the Lepcha, Tamang and Limboo and the minority Christian and Muslim communities to think about our demand before casting their votes. Remember, a separate state is also for you. In fact, I chose against supporting the Trinamool Congress to keep alive the separate state demand,” said Gurung.
Following the inroads made by the TMC in the hills after the failed second agitation for statehood, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has set-up boards for the Lepcha and Tamang communities and also promised of conferring tribal status to 10 more communities. That some of the tribal communities attended the TMC’s public meeting in Darjeeling last Sunday is a pointer towards this.
BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia too evoked the minority issue even as he said he belonged to the Sikh community. “I assure the minority communities including the Muslims and Christians that neither I nor my party is a danger to you. The central government has the power to confer tribal status and the BJP, when it comes to the Center, will ensure the status to the 10 communities of the hills. If elected I will not only be your voice in Parliament, but also fulfill your aspiration and dreams,” he said to loud cheers from of the crowd that refused to budge from the venue despite the light drizzle throughout the meeting. Ahluwalia also made mention of the Scheduled Caste community.
“Those from the SC community and have converted to Christianity are bereft of facilities they used to get earlier. This needs to be re-examined and my party will do the needful,” said the GJM-backed BJP candidate.
Trying to bust the ‘outsider’ tag, Ahluwalia said he wanted to be a legislator from Darjeeling as one of its residents and not a guest. “I rented a house in Darjeeling and only then filed my nomination papers. I want to become a resident and contest the election and not a tourist. Please don’t make me a guest but take me as a family so that I can become the bridge between the people and the government,” he said.
After the meeting, Ahluwalia left for Siliguri to meet BJP leaders and activists and will come back to Darjeeling on the poll day, said party sources.
In Kalimpong:
In a bid to woo voters from the town
area of Kalimpong and boost party supporters’ moral ahead of the LS
Elections on April 17, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today conducted a
massive meeting in the town. Trikone Park in the Thana Dara area was the
venue for the meeting, which also marked the last campaigning activity
of the party. GJM Darjeeling unit leaders Sawan Rai and DK Pradhan were
the main speakers during the meeting.
Sharvan Rai in his speech vehemently
slammed the TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, party’s Darjeeling candidate
Bhaichung Bhutia and independent candidate Dr. Mahindra P Lama. “If our
candidate SS Ahluwalia loses the elections then Dr. Lama and CPIM leader
RB Rai will be seen as people who are against the community,” he
emphasized.
“The BJP candidate has come ahead to
make way for the formation of Gorkhaland. If Bhaichung wins the election
then RB Rai and Dr. Lama will be tagged by hill people as anti-Gorkha
leaders,” he declared. Referring to Dr. Lama’s DDUDF as an organisation
only for people with formal attires, he said, “Elections are not won by
people who have a tie around their neck, but are won by those who do
not.” He also slammed Dr. Lama’s statement on making DDUDF a political
organisation after the election. “Election is a political process and
needs active political parties. Dr. Lama should have run for the MP seat
under a political organisation and not an apolitical one,” he pointed
out.
He claimed the GJM chief Bimal Gurung‘s
decision to support BJP candidate was right. “We tried many times to
raise our voice for Gorkhaland demand, but were unsuccessful. Now with
BJP certain to form the government in the center and voice our demand in
Parliament, we have to support them and help them win the elections,”
he explained.
He also went to accuse Mamata Banerjee
for dividing the Gorkha community in the name of peace and development.
“Mamata is not trying to bring peace, but is trying to turn the Gorkhas
into pieces. How can they shout about peace when they are always arguing
with GJM? Mamata has every right as a CM of a state to oppose the
separate state agenda, but it needs to be done within the provision of
the constitution,” he stressed.
Taking his ire to TMC candidate, Rai
said, “We have helped Sikkim in all possible way we can. However, in
return we got Bhaichung Bhutia, who has come here to fight against the
formation of Gorkhaland.”
Meanwhile, GJM’s senior leader and
former MLA, DK Pradhan, said this year’s election is being fought bu the
hill people to protect the pride and identity of Gorkhas. “Only BJP can
help us form Gorkhaland and this year’s election is to ascertain
whether it is possible or not. So the people should think and decide
wisely before they cast their votes,” he pointed out.
The meeting was also addressed by GJM
leaders Topden Bhutia and Kuljang Lepcha. The party had also organised a
rally covering various parts of Kalimpong before the meeting started.(EOIC)
GJM leaders campaign in Singboli Mirik
The GJM central leadership were at
Singboli Play Ground today to attend a party meeting in support of the
BJP Darjeeling candidate SS Ahluwalia in the LS Elections 2014. The
leaders stressed on the importance of supporting Ahluwalia for realising
the dream of having a separate state of Gorkhaland. They also slammed
the TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia and its supporter GNLF.
BJP’s Darjeeling unit in-charge Manoj
Dewan said, “With the country in the verge of having a strong central
government in the form of BJP and with people’s long standing demand for
Gorkhaland, it is important they realise that only the BJP’s prime
ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has openly come in support for them.
Thus, the people must vote for BJP and help him become the PM.”
Stating the BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia
is aware about the problems faced by the people of the hills, Dewan
urged the people to vote for him and help him win by a huge margin.
Slamming the ruling front in the state,
the BJP leader said, “TMC has never thought about the upliftment of the
people of the hills and never will. They are a party with no thought
process, policy and ideology. They only think about Kolkata and will
only work for its own benefit.” He further accused the party of pleading
for votes in the rest of the country by speaking against the formation
of Gorkhaland.
Kurseong MLA Dr. Rohit Sharma claimed it
was certain the BJP candidate will win the election this year from the
constituency. “Voting procedure in April 17 is just a formality.
Ahluwalia will surely win the elections,” he added. Stating Darjeeling
will be neglected if TMC wins the elections, Dr. Sharma slammed the
anti-Gorkha comments made by party president Deepak Ghosh and its
Darjeeling candidate Bhaichung Bhutia. He also took a dig at GNLF
supremo Subash Ghisingh and said GNLF and TMC together are taking
Darjeeling into a dark oblivion.
Meanwhile, GJM general secretary Roshan
Giri said his party is supporting BJP in this year’s LS elections since
it is the only national party which can help the people of the hills get
a separate state of Gorkhaland, save Gorkha identity and give them
political security.
The meeting was also attended by GJM
vice president Pradip Pradhan and Soureni unit Sabhasad Arun Singchi
along with party leaders Phubi Rai, Binod Khaling, DB Rai and Yogesh
Golay among others.(EOIC)
In Kurseong
Kurseong, 15 April: Senior leaders of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) today sought votes from people here as they organized the last-minute campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.
A team of the GJMM led by party central committee members and GTA members, Anit Thapa and Yogendra Rai and Kurseong municipality chairman and GJMM youth leader, Samirdip Blon, campaigned for votes in the Kurseong town area in favor of the BJP candidate SS Ahaluwalia.
Mr Thapa said they visited houses and met people and the business community in Kurseong town on the
last day of the campaigning for the upcoming polls.
“The people should understand that not only the dreams of the Gorkha community, but the dreams and aspirations of all communities living in the proposed Gorkhaland area will be fulfilled as the GJMM party has never discriminated other communities residing alongside the Gorkhas,” he said.
Mr Thapa added that the people should be aware of the “divide and rule” policy of the Trinamul Congress-led state government.
“The TMC and the state chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, never formed development boards for the different castes and sub-castes of the Bengali community, but in Darjeeling Hills, the Gorkha community is being divided in the name of development boards.
Hence, to stop this policy, people must vote in favour of their aspirations, which, will be fulfilled by the BJP government and BJP candidate Mr SS Ahluwalia,” he said.Mahendra P Lama, an Independent candidate contesting the polls from the Darjeeling LS seat, also organised a road show in Sonada and its adjoining areas.
According to Mr Lama, people should vote for him for the all round development and for a separate state that will be for all the communities residing in the Hills and the Dooars. (SNS)
A team of the GJMM led by party central committee members and GTA members, Anit Thapa and Yogendra Rai and Kurseong municipality chairman and GJMM youth leader, Samirdip Blon, campaigned for votes in the Kurseong town area in favor of the BJP candidate SS Ahaluwalia.
Mr Thapa said they visited houses and met people and the business community in Kurseong town on the
last day of the campaigning for the upcoming polls.
“The people should understand that not only the dreams of the Gorkha community, but the dreams and aspirations of all communities living in the proposed Gorkhaland area will be fulfilled as the GJMM party has never discriminated other communities residing alongside the Gorkhas,” he said.
Mr Thapa added that the people should be aware of the “divide and rule” policy of the Trinamul Congress-led state government.
“The TMC and the state chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, never formed development boards for the different castes and sub-castes of the Bengali community, but in Darjeeling Hills, the Gorkha community is being divided in the name of development boards.
Hence, to stop this policy, people must vote in favour of their aspirations, which, will be fulfilled by the BJP government and BJP candidate Mr SS Ahluwalia,” he said.Mahendra P Lama, an Independent candidate contesting the polls from the Darjeeling LS seat, also organised a road show in Sonada and its adjoining areas.
According to Mr Lama, people should vote for him for the all round development and for a separate state that will be for all the communities residing in the Hills and the Dooars. (SNS)