The GJM affiliated organisations,
Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation(JSTO) and Gorkha Primary Teachers’
Organisation(GPTO), today conducted a meeting in Kalimpong in support of
Morcha-backed BJP candidate SS Ahluwalia. The members of the two
organisations unanimously decided to support Ahluwalia and help him win
the LS Elections 2014.
The meeting was organised at Mahnay
Lakhand Gompa auditorium in the town where members of both the sister
organisations from all the three wards under the sub-division were in
attendance. The meeting was also attended by GJM leaders Raju Pradhan,
Tara Lohar Lepcha, Shubh Pradhan and Tshering Dorjee Bhutia along with
Assam Gorkha Sammelan general secretary Kishor Acharya, People’s Forum
secretary Pravin Gurung and Darjeeling BJP leader Kishor Upadhaye.
The meeting was addressed by JSTO
Kalimpong vice president Bijay Pradhan and spokesperson Bhishan Roka
along with GPTO Kalimpong president Dataram Sharma. Guest speakers
included Raju Pradhan, Dr. Arbi Bhujel, Pravin Gurung and Kishor
Acharya. Speakers stressed the GJM is in an endeavour to help the people
of the hills realise the dream of forming a separate state of
Gorkhaland and urged them to support the BJP candidate.
An ardent GJM supporter Acharya said
this year’s election will be a decisive factor for the identity of
Gorkhas in the nation and urged the people to look at it in the same
way. “The identity crisis cannot be resolved with agitations; it also
needs active participation of the people of the hills in the election
along with support for the right candidate. Supporting a candidate who
can help in the issue is equal to conducting agitations,” the
Assam-based Gorkha leader stressed. He further observed people who are
striving to establish the identity of Gorkhas should not support the TMC
and suggested them to see where the central government is heading
towards in this election before taking their decision.
Meanwhile, Roka addressing the reporters
after the meeting said, “We need a candidate who has been actively
supported by the hill people to speak about our demand in Parliament,
and BJP is the only party that has openly voiced our demand until now.
We believe a win by BJP candidate from Darjeeling would create a
conducive environment in the centre for the formation of a separate
state.”
He further claimed the chances of Dr.
Mahindra P Lama winning the LS election are grim as he will not be able
to voice the people’s demand in the centre as an independent candidate.
“The votes he will get will only divide the numbers, which will
ultimately be an advantage for anti-Gorkhaland parties,” he pointed out.(EOIC)