Bimal Gurung today hinted at starting a fresh agitation on Gorkhaland
and said the elected GTA Sabha members and other party workers should
be ready to go to jail on the statehood issue.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief, while addressing a martyr's day
function at Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan, added that it was not right to
accept injustice, while referring to the recent controversy over the
hill leader not being allowed to address the crowd during the state
government's Bhanu Jayanti celebrations on July 13.
"This Shahid Diwas could be the turning point. In 1986, 1,200 people
laid their lives and after 2007, too, others (seven) laid their lives.
The number of martyrs might even increase to 1,000 now. I think we have
started forgetting the sacrifice of the Gorkhaland martyrs, too
preoccupied with the chair, but the time has come to remember the
shahids," said Gurung.
The Morcha chief today spoke about the pride of the community and said that it was not right to tolerate injustice.
"It is not right to bear with injustice. They have taken over
Bhanubhakta and they will probably also take over the Shahid Diwas. We
have tolerated enough. Sometimes they come up (to the hills) and they
kick us, sometimes they slap us. I am ready to take a bullet but will
not sell my self-respect," he said.
"By demanding Gorkhaland, we are only demanding our right, this place
was never a part of Bengal.... Where is the issue of the division of
Bengal," Gurung said.
"They only see Kanchenjungha smiling, but they never see our people
crying," Gurung said, without mentioning the state government or chief
minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Morcha leader also said that he expected the BJP government to
look into the demand for Gorkhaland. "We want the Centre to understand
our feelings. We are not demanding a separate country, we are only
demanding a state, we are only demanding our rights," said Gurung.
Sources in the Morcha said that a party delegation would soon leave
for Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and other leaders to raise the
issue of statehood.
The Morcha leader said: "The Sabhasads and municipality councillors
should also be ready now. If you are arrested during an agitation, you
should go to jail smiling."
Gurung also indirectly hit at those running development boards in the
hills. "Our community is being divided but some of our people are
selling their own community. Many are indulging in politics for personal
gains and selling the future of their children," said Gurung.
Referring to the Bhanu Jayanti event, Gurung said: "The injustice was
not just to the Morcha, it was also for ABGL, GNLF and the entire hill
population. Recently, the GNLF's president was made vice-chairman (of
the North Bengal Board for Development of Sports and Games).... This
appointment only reflects their thoughts towards the hill people."(TT)
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