The hills of West Bengal have been witnessing protests and agitation for a few days now. The announcement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to make Bengali a compulsory subject for all had triggered the movement originally. Eventually the protest took the shape of riot, as the GJM demonstrated rallies and shut down, demanding for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Though all the opposition parties are holding the actions of Mamata Banerjee to pressurize the local parties by Police actions responsible for all the riots, they are still supporting her, not agreeing to the demand of a separate state for the Gorkhas. To ensure peace in the region seven CRPF regimes are deployed in Darjeeling, out of which 2 are all women regimes. But the riots doesn’t seem to stop, in fact it gained all the more momentum after raids were conducted at the residence of Bimal Gurung, Chief of GJM party.
The biggest rival of GJM, GNLF has also joined hands with GJM, keeping aside their differences, saying that getting the separate state of Gorkhaland was the main aim. In spite of all the pressure from the Mamata government to stop the violence, GJM and GNLF are adamant on their demand and said they would not stop at any cost now.
GJM has decided to continue with its indefinite strike even as there were many incidents of fire in the last 24 hours at government properties and important installations including railway station, police posts and a hydropower plant. A senior GJM leader said the strike will continue till the state stops its “repressive police action” against party supporters and workers. On the other side, state tourism minister Gautam Deb said, “Things will be handled in strict and appropriate manner.”
GJM president Bimal Gurung has gone underground after the raids conducted at his residence, but his party continues its efforts to get all hill parties on board an ensure the Centre’s intervention in the matter. It has already secured the support of its arch rival Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), and even a faction of the ruling Trinamool Congress in Darjeeling in its battle for Gorkhaland. GNLF leader Dawa Pakhrin has appealed that they want serious intervention of the Centre to prevent uncertainty.
According to local sources, all pro-Gorkhaland parties are now expected to meet on June 20 to draw up a minimum common agenda. A senior leader from Trinamool Congress, also hinted that they might join the movement if GJM decides to withdraw from the demand of Gorkhaland. He even alleged that GJM is a corrupt party and has almost sold the cause of the entire Gorkhaland, by putting up the drama of riots and shut down.
GJM leader Bimal has appealed to the people to join the movement as the final battle for Gorkhaland through a video uploaded on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/GorkhalandBimal/videos/1394274887462554/
Party general secretary Roshan Giri is camping in Delhi, pushing for direct intervention by the Centre on the issue. In Kolkata, party MLAs Rohit Sharma (Kurseong), Amar Singh Rai (Darjeeling) and Sarita Rai (Kalimpong) have met governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, and said the “situation is going from bad to worse”.
Central minister S S Ahluwalia, elected from Darjeeling with GJM support, said, “Our commitment to the GJM is that the BJP will sympathetically examine the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas and adivasis of Darjeeling and Dooars. I stand by that commitment.” However, BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh had said, “State BJP is not in favour of a separate Gorkhaland state.”
According to the sources, the Centre had proposed a meeting of state and GJM leaders on 19 June, but Mamata Banerjee has refused to accept that.