Binay Tamang grip tightens in tea trade union

Darjeeling: The Binay Tamang lobby tightened its grip on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's tea trade union on Friday, appointing its leaders in top posts.

The tea trade body is one of the most important wings of the Morcha as more than 50 per cent of the hill population resides in the tea gardens and cinchona plantations. The trade body is often instrumental in influencing the political discourse in the rural areas.

Leaders owing allegiance to Tamang and Anit Thapa held a meeting in Kurseong on Friday and appointed Karuna Gurung as the new president of the Darjeeling-Terai-Dooars Plantation Labour Union. Bharat Thakuri was made the general secretary.

"We have appointed Karuna Gurung as the president and Bharat Thakuri as the general secretary. P.T. Sherpa (the earlier president of the body) has been made the chief adviser," said Satish Pokhrel, the convener of the Morcha's Darjeeling sub-divisional committee.

Pokhrel said the tea body would primarily focus on two major issues - granting of minimum wages to garden workers and land rights.

The Telegraph