After snubbing the representatives from the Tamang Youth faction which had declared allegiance to TMC before the elections, by not meeting them at all on Friday. It was the turn of the ILTA representatives to bear the burnt of Mamata's ire.
Yesterday a high level delegation of Lepchas had arrived in the morning to meet the West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee at Mongpong. However, they were kept waiting all day, and they eventually had to leave dejected in the evening without getting a chance to meet the Chief Minister.
Speaking to the press the ILTA Youth Wing Secretary Dorjee Lepcha tried to downplay the incidence and said, "we had come to give a courteous visit to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and after waiting for many hours, we were informed that since she had come to rest she would not be meeting anyone."
However earlier in the day Mamata Banerjee had in fact met local people regarding and discussed some problems and issues the locals were facing.
Political observers in Darjeeling see this as a reminder to everyone associated with TMC in the hills that they are replaceable. Speaking to TheDC a senior political observer from Kalimpong said, "It was bound to be, after all TMC gained much less votes in the hills than they had been told they would gain... and that impression to TMC that they would gain over 2 Lakh vote from the hills were given by the very same leaders from the Lepcha and Tamang communities, whom Mamata refused to meet..."
Clarifying further he said, "No one likes to be lied to, least of all Mamata Banerjee who has a reputation for being straight forward... she does not tolerate fools and liars and some community leaders from the hills were not honest with the CM about how much clout they actually had in their own community... This was bound to be.. I honestly don't blame the CM."
Another political insider said, "In refusing to meet the representatives from those factions of the Lepcha and Tamang youth associations, which had in fact openly supported TMC in the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata is sending a clear signal to everyone in Darjeeling - perform or perish... I will not be surprised if Gautam Deb loses favour with the CM in the coming days, after all he is the in-charge for the hills, and ultimately it will be seen as his failure and not TMCs."
Of the four community groups from the hills which had openly come out in support of TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia, representatives from All India Sherpa Buddhist Association section of Limbu community led by ND Subba and Mangar samaj did not seem to try to meet Mamata, else there is a good chance that they may also have been snubbed.
However, there is a distant possibility that perhaps the Chief Minister choose not to meet these two groups as she actually wanted to rest and not discuss politics, or may be she is sick and tired of sycophants and thus has no interest in entertaining them any more.
In a reverse snub of sorts, this time around the GJM leaders did not seek to meet Mamata or pay her a courtesy visit either, which otherwise they would normally do.
Seems like Darjeeling is waiting for interesting times ahead.
[During happier times: File pic of ILTA, TYA and Mangar Samaj representatives at a TMC rally in Kalimpong in support of Bhaichung]
Source: DC facebook
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| Lepchas with TMC candidate Bhaichung during LS election campaign |
Speaking to the press the ILTA Youth Wing Secretary Dorjee Lepcha tried to downplay the incidence and said, "we had come to give a courteous visit to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and after waiting for many hours, we were informed that since she had come to rest she would not be meeting anyone."
However earlier in the day Mamata Banerjee had in fact met local people regarding and discussed some problems and issues the locals were facing.
Political observers in Darjeeling see this as a reminder to everyone associated with TMC in the hills that they are replaceable. Speaking to TheDC a senior political observer from Kalimpong said, "It was bound to be, after all TMC gained much less votes in the hills than they had been told they would gain... and that impression to TMC that they would gain over 2 Lakh vote from the hills were given by the very same leaders from the Lepcha and Tamang communities, whom Mamata refused to meet..."
Clarifying further he said, "No one likes to be lied to, least of all Mamata Banerjee who has a reputation for being straight forward... she does not tolerate fools and liars and some community leaders from the hills were not honest with the CM about how much clout they actually had in their own community... This was bound to be.. I honestly don't blame the CM."
Another political insider said, "In refusing to meet the representatives from those factions of the Lepcha and Tamang youth associations, which had in fact openly supported TMC in the Lok Sabha elections, Mamata is sending a clear signal to everyone in Darjeeling - perform or perish... I will not be surprised if Gautam Deb loses favour with the CM in the coming days, after all he is the in-charge for the hills, and ultimately it will be seen as his failure and not TMCs."
Of the four community groups from the hills which had openly come out in support of TMC candidate Bhaichung Bhutia, representatives from All India Sherpa Buddhist Association section of Limbu community led by ND Subba and Mangar samaj did not seem to try to meet Mamata, else there is a good chance that they may also have been snubbed.
However, there is a distant possibility that perhaps the Chief Minister choose not to meet these two groups as she actually wanted to rest and not discuss politics, or may be she is sick and tired of sycophants and thus has no interest in entertaining them any more.
In a reverse snub of sorts, this time around the GJM leaders did not seek to meet Mamata or pay her a courtesy visit either, which otherwise they would normally do.
Seems like Darjeeling is waiting for interesting times ahead.
[During happier times: File pic of ILTA, TYA and Mangar Samaj representatives at a TMC rally in Kalimpong in support of Bhaichung]
Source: DC facebook
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