Big blow to BJP following betrayal on Gorkhaland?

With the supporters of the oldest separatist state demand pulling out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) while accusing Modi led BJP of betraying the trust of Gorkhas, it seems the party has a lot to lose besides only trust.

A close analysis at BJP’s modus operandi reveals that while the party has always been vocal about the idea of ‘Nationalism’, the alliances forged by the party in different states prove otherwise.The BJP has been making inroads in several states through its alliance with parties and/or organizations who have stood firm in their demands for separate states. Be it the Twipraland demand by IPFT in Tripura, Gorkhaland demand by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling, West Bengal, Implementation of Telangana Act,2014 as demanded by Telugu Desam Party, Andhra Pradesh, demand for Bodoland by Assam’s biggest biggest tribal community, the Bodos or the demand of creation of a Punjabi Suba by the Akali Dal in Punjab.

It may be recalled that BJP’s Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia emerged victorious in the 2014 Lok Sabha Polls from Darjeeling after assuring the electorate that BJP would be ‘sympathetic’ to their demand for a separate Gorkhaland if it came to power at the centre. A Union Minister of State in the Government of India, he is the member of Parliament of India representing Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal in the 16th Lok Sabha. As is evident, the BJP actually came to power and went on to form the government with a simple majority thereby replacing the decade-long Congress-led UPA government.

However, when the Gorkhaland agitation reignited between June and September 2017, the BJP chose not to react, especially at a time when Darjeeling was reeling under protests and violent clashes that led to the death of eleven people. The seeds of discontentment among the Gorkhaland supporters was already sown due to BJP’s apathy towards the situation when disappointed supporters said that while Mamata was’murdering’ them, BJP was ‘betraying’ them by stabbing them in the back.

This is not the first time that BJP has been accused of ‘Betrayal’. The Bodo groups had said their faith in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to resolve the Bodoland issue was “misplaced” and they only got “false assurances” from the party — during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the 2016 state elections.

The recently concluded Assembly elections in three Northeast Indian states- Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura clearly shows the gradual advent of BJP in Meghalaya and Nagaland while gaining a clear majority in Tripura, largely backed by IPFT’s support. A significant amount of Gorkha population also resides in Northeast India and after GJM accused BJP of betraying the Gorkhas, the impact it will create on a sizeable number of Gorkhas will definitely not be a positive one. Moreover, this incident may also act as an eye-opener to all separatist state supporters who feel that a National party may be able to fulfill their demands in one way or another.

https://thenortheasttoday.com