Siliguri, April 10: The intention
was not to insult, but the execution could have ruffled a few hill
feathers today when Narendra Modi lauded Gorkhas as “security guards”
who protect people.
At the heart of Modi’s message was a
signal to the over 7 lakh Gorkha voters in the hills who make up almost
50 per cent of the electorate in the Darjeeling seat.
In Siliguri this
morning, Modi praised the hill people, saying: “There are markets in
almost every corner of the country and it’s the responsibility of the
police to protect the people and their assets. Go to any village in
India, you may or may not find police, but you will find Gorkha private
security guards.”
He said
businessmen lock their stores stashed with goods worth over crores with
just a 50-rupee lock and sleep peacefully “as the Gorkha brothers
protect it.”
The Morcha did not
criticise Modi, but the Independent candidate from Darjeeling and a
Trinamul minister seized on the point, saying Modi’s words were an
“insult” to the Gorkhas.
Morcha GTA member Binay Tamang, asked about the Gorkha “guard” comment by Modi, defended the BJP prime ministerial candidate.
“He has only said
that anywhere in the country, one feels more safe to be with a Gorkha,
than even a policeman around. He meant that the country is secure
because of the Gorkhas and that we have earned the respect of the
country through our sincerity.”
At a time the
Morcha is supporting the BJP in the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and
Alipurduar seats, Tamang’s explanation is not a surprise, but the Morcha
was not always amenable to Gorkhas being associated with the
Bollywood-inspired notion of the security guard, who was almost always
called Bahadur.
In 2007, when Prashant Tamang, a Darjeeling youth contesting in Indian Idol,
was made to dress up as a Gorkha guard on the reality show, the
community erupted in anger. Protest posters surfaced across the hills
and residents wore black armbands.
A Calcutta-based social scientist, who did not wish to be named, said Modi should have been cautious.
“The fact that
this community produces the maximum number of private security guards is
an indication of their backwardness and deprivation. A prime
ministerial aspirant should not have forgotten this fact,” the social
scientist said.
Mahendra P. Lama,
the Independent candidate contesting from Darjeeling and whom the Morcha
refused to support, criticised Modi for his comments on Gorkhas. “The
comment… is deplorable. It is because of such derogatory comments that
Gorkhas are demanding a separate state,” he said.
Trinamul minister
Gautam Deb said: “Comparing a community with security guards is an
attempt to belittle the community. Our party condemns such remarks.”
The sense of
deprivation and lack of development in the hills was a reason behind the
Gorkhaland movement that started in mid 1980s.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, is opposed to the statehood demand.
Modi, while
praising Gorkhas today, said: “Your dreams are our dreams… We will
ensure that you will live with dignity and you will get development.” He
did not make any reference to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s statehood
demand.
Morcha chief Bimal
Gurung, too, did not mention the Gorkhaland demand. He targeted Mamata
for not doing enough for the hills. “There is a totalitarian regime in
Bengal… Wherever they are, I urge the people of the Gorkha community to
vote for BJP candidates,” he said.
“As the meeting
venue was Siliguri, any mention of Gorkhaland could have been
counter-productive as the people in the plains do not support the
demand,” said a BJP leader. Of over 14 lakh voters, around 8 lakh are in
the plains and most are opposed to Gorkhaland.
Varied crowd to hear Modi
Siliguri, April 10: The BJP today
claimed that people from all walks of life had flocked to listen to
Narendra Modi in Siliguri because of the party’s systematic effort to
reach out to voters of different ages, occupations and economic strata,
both from the hills and the plains.
While officials of
the state intelligence pegged the number of people at the rally at
35,000, sources in the BJP claimed that the footfall was around 2 lakh.
Modi, who reached
Bagdogra by a flight and then made it to the venue by a chopper, was
welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd with many donning his masks and waving
at the leader as he walked into the dais.
“The meeting was a
success. There was a huge crowd, comprising youths, women, tea garden
workers, senior citizens and even school students who cheered and
clapped as Modi spoke,” said Rathindra Bose, the Darjeeling district
president of the BJP.
“Such a huge
gathering was possible because of the hard work and systematic efforts
of our workers and leaders who approached people of different ages,
communities, occupations and economic strata, both from the hills and
the plains. Added to it, the people were generally enthusiastic about
the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and wanted to hear him,” he added.
Bose said invitation letters had been sent to “chai walas”
(tea sellers) in and around Siliguri. “Minorities, first-time voters
and youths were also invited by the workers of the BJP as well as those
of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the KPP.”
“The workers could
spread the message among voters in remote areas of the hills and the
plains. The campaign was aided by three tableaux which roamed across the
Darjeeling constituency, announcing the arrival of Modi in Siliguri to
campaign for the BJP,” said Bose.
A Class XII student in Siliguri said he had come to see Modi out of curiosity.
“We are first time
voters and have been hearing a lot about Narendra Modi. As he visited
our region today, we turned up to hear him,” said Rahul Sonar, who came
with his classmate, Shiv Kumar Singh.
For Pradip Topno, a peon on Sukna Tea Estate, it was a sense of despair that had brought him to the Panchkelguri ground.
“In the past 10
years, we have not seen much change in the tea industry. Whatever has
been done for us was by the owners of respective tea estates. To get
land rights, the primary demand of all tea garden dwellers, we have
actively participated in the programmes of the DYFI and the CPM. After a
change of power in the state, we have also seen the Trinamul Congress
announce welfare measures for us. But nobody is addressing the basic
problems faced by the tea estate population. Everyone is talking about
the possibility of a change at the Centre. So I also came to hear
Narendra Modi,” said Topno.
Invoking Modi’s simple background as a tea seller, the BJP has brought in 30-odd “chai walas”.
“Some BJP workers met me yesterday evening and handed me a written
invitation to hear a former ‘chai wala’ who is vying for the prime
ministerial post now. I came here to listen to him,” said Paresh Chandra
Burman, a tea-seller on the outskirts of Siliguri.
Members of NaMo
Brigade, a group of 14 youths from Kurseong, who are campaigning for
Modi through Facebook with “Darjeeling for NaMO” page, were also at the
meeting. They were heard chanting “Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi”.
“We are not BJP
workers but want to see Modi as the prime minister to expedite the
development of India. That is why we are here today,” said Chandan
Prasad, a member of the group. “In Kurseong, we asked our neighbours and
acquaintances to attend the rally. Many of them have come.”
Darjeeling votes on April 17
Source: The Telegraph