Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today did
not take the name of her once-friend-now foe - the Gorkha Janmukti
Morcha - in her entire speech in Darjeeling, but still drove home the
point she was against any division of the state.
As usual, the chief minister started off
in broken Nepali, which now seems to have become her trademark,
whenever speaking in the hills.
"Pahar ko daju ra baini, mero pani
daju-baini. Kasto chau? Pahar shanti ma rahos (Brothers and sisters of
the hills are also my brothers and sisters. How are you? Let peace
reside in the hills)," she said to a gathering in Chowrastha amid a
slight drizzle, the venue for the meeting to campaign for party
candidate Bhaichung Bhutia.
Calling on the people to vote for
Bhaichung, the "pahar ko chora" (son of the hills), in the upcoming Lok
Sabha election, Banerjee urged to exercise their franchise without fear.
"Gorkhas who guard our country should
not be afraid. I want a free and fair election. Earlier, there used to
be rigging and dictatorship, but such things won’t happen this time and I
will ensure this," she said to the charged-up crowd that comprised
people mostly from outside Darjeeling town while many were from the
Limboo and Lepcha communities.
Unlike the BJP, she is not double-faced,
said the TMC chief, and that she would do everything to ensure the
unity of the hills and plains.
“The BJP says two different things in
the hills and plains. But I don't believe in double talk. The bond
between the hills and plains will remain intact. The hills comprise our
honour and there won’t be any division," asserted Banerjee while the
crowd cheered her on.
However, the chief minister was careful not to mention the GJM although she did not gloss over its faults.
She said, "I had called 'them' up
several times before announcing our party candidate's name. And each
time 'they' said they would discuss it in their meeting. I wanted to
give a consensus candidate from the hills. But I realised 'they' were
busy deliberating with the BJP in Delhi. This compelled me to announce
the name of our party candidate."
The chief minister reiterated it was the
GJM that had wanted the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, but
failed to run it properly.
"You people asked for the GTA. I gave
all the departments that were needed barring a few of them. What else do
you want? At least do some work," she said. "In the name of politics,
you are looting the GTA funds meant for the people. Sending your own
children to study abroad while closing schools and enforcing bandhs in
the hills. Is this right? I will never tolerate this.”
Exuding confidence of the TMC making it
to Delhi, the party president recounted to the gathering the development
works she had undertaken in the last two and half years while promising
to provide a special package to the hills.
"We are sure to come to power in Delhi
and nothing can stop us. We will give a special package to the hills
that we have mentioned in our election manifesto. I will work for the
development of the hills till the end," said Banerjee.
Rajya Sabha MP Mithun Chakraborty, TMC
general secretary Mukul Roy and a host of senior party leaders from the
hills shared the dais with the chief minister along with Bhaichung.
Mithun charged up the damp atmosphere
with his signature "kya baat, kya baat, kya baat" and also swayed to the
hit ‘I am a disco dancer’, a number from one of his popular flicks. The
actor added he would try to set up an audition centre in the hills for
the Dance India Dance reality show.(EOIC)