Siliguri: Trinamul leaders and supporters in the Darjeeling
hills are perplexed as they have no inkling to the party's current
political strategy with regard to the region.
They are now looking towards the ensuing visit of chief
minister Mamata Banerjee here next week and hope they would be given
some directives as to whether to continue to lie low or resume political
activities in the hills.
"For the past six months, that is since the commencement of
the statehood agitation, our party has not taken up any political
activity in the hills. Over three months have passed since the strike
was withdrawn and the situation is completely normal across the hills
now. But so far, no specific directive has reached us from the state
leaders or even those in Siliguri. We really have no idea if the party
wants to continue working in the hills," said a Trinamul leader in
Kalimpong.
A few days back, Morcha leaders and supporters based in the Terai betrayed similar confusion.
It is because of the silence of the central leaders,
particularly the Binay Tamang camp of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that
its supporters across the Dooars defected to Trinamul last month.
"Our situation is no different than the Morcha supporters and leaders
in the foothills. There is no clear direction from the party as to what
we should do. Common people and even our family members often ask us
whether Trinamul is at all interested in developing its base in the
hills," said another leader in Mirik block.
The confusion, he said, has cropped up because of a stark
contrast in the party's activities now vis-Ã -vis the civic polls last
year.
"Ahead of the municipal elections and even after the results,
the hills were beaming with political programmes taken up by Trinamul on
a regular basis. But in the past six months, not even a street corner
or a rally was held in the hills. Also, the state leaders have brought
in new faces in top positions of the hill committee. Altogether, the
workers and supporters are baffled," the leader added.
Political observers opined that Trinamul leadership seem have planned a measured tread.
"During past few months, political activities of the hill
based parties other than the Morcha have increased and there hadn't been
any opposition from Morcha's side. But unlike these parties, Trinamul
is against the demand for separate statehood," said an observer.
The Telegraph
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