On the occasion of its 19th foundation day, the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist, considered the second largest party in the Darjeeling hills, denounced the ruling GorkhaJanmuktiMorcha for betraying the statehood cause. The CPRM is a shoot-off of the CPM, separated over ideological differences, and was formed as a new party in 1996. Since its formation, it has been advocating for a separate state of Gorkhaland as opposed to the CPM. CPRM spokesperson GovindChhetri lambasted the BimalGurung-ledGJM for compromising the more than a century old statehood demand, and compared the ruling party with the Gorkha National Liberation Front.
“We had high hopes that the GJM would work towards achieving a separate state after the GNLF settled for a compromise and accepted a council. However, going by the GJM’s antics, it has become clear that they too have betrayed our cause for fringe benefits. We had even come together on a common forum to struggle for Gorkhaland some years ago, but that failed to yield any positive results because of the GJM’s attitude,” Chhetri alleged.
The GJM, during the height of the second round of statehood agitation in 2013, had asked all political parties of the hills rooting for a separate state to come on a common platform – the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC). However, differences cropped up within a short span of time, forcing the parties to take to their own paths. “The GJM, like the GNLF, has shown that they are also not sincere when it comes to the statehood demand. They (GJM) have taken a step back by accepting the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, which is a hurdle to the statehood demand,” Chhetri said. Though an off-shoot of the CPM, the CPRM has always advocated for the creation of a separate Gorkha state, reasoning it was imperative that the Gorkhas’ identity issue be settled first. “We are treated like outsiders even though there is a rich history of Gorkhas sacrificing their lives for the country. We are yet to get our just dues from both the state and central governments. Our party will continue to struggle and work for Gorkhaland even in the most adverse of conditions,” said ShekharChhetri, of the DRYF, the youth wing of the party.
CPRM leaders were united in finding fault with the CPM for the split, alleging that Kolkata was never serious or had any sincerity towards the hills or its people.
Source: EOI
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