Binay Tamang working on vision 2020 plan

Darjeeling: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief said on Wednesday that he was working on a "vision 2020 plan" and the Darjeeling hills had been pushed back by 32 years in terms of development.

Binay Tamang talked about the plan while attending Independence Day celebration in Kalimpong.

"We are working with new thoughts and ideas to get the Gorkhas into the mainstream of independent India.....We are working with a vision 2020 plan," said Tamang.

Taking a swipe at hill politics, Tamang said: " We feel the political tradition and activities of the past 32 years pushed the hills back by 32 years instead of making us developed and capable citizens of an independent country."

He was obliquely referring to the periods when politics and governance of the hills were dominated by Subash Ghisingh and Bimal Gurung.

"Even after 72 years of Independence, it is sad Gorkhas are economically, educationally, culturally and politically backward," said Tamang, who is the chairman of the board of administrators appointed by the Bengal government to run the GTA.

He talked about the sacrifices made by freedom fighters from the hills. Tamang said the GTA would name a road from 10th Mile to Tirpai in Kalimpong after Ari Bahadur Gurung, a Gorkha leader who represented the community in the Constituent Assembly.

"People like Durga Mall had gone to the gallows with a smile. Our daughters Sabitri and Indrani had blown themselves up in front of British tanks by turning into human bombs and helped Subhash Chandra Bose and his Azad Hind Fauj," said Tamang.

Tamang, who replaced Bimal Gurung in the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the GTA, made an oblique reference to last year's agitation.

"Gorkhas are loyal to their country and as citizens of a democratic country, we have to establish our identity through democratic means. We are always ready to take bullets for the country. It will not be right to go against the democratic ethos of the country and its constitution and engage in undemocratic and unconstitutional activities."

The Telegraph