Hill parties unite to seek Bijanbari Subdivision

11:34 AM

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Politics

DARJEELING 21 Jun 2016 Various political and apolitical bodies of the hills have come together on one platform - the Bijanbari Sub-Division Demand Committee - to demand for the creation of a Bijanbari sub-division. They submitted a memorandum today to the Darjeeling district administration in the regard.

The committee members comprise representatives from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Trinamool Congress, Jan Andolan Party, CPM and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and merchant associations and social organisations of the area.

After submitting their memorandum to the Darjeeling district magistrate, L.M. Lama, the convener of the newly formed committee, said, “With 23 gram panchayats, Bijanbari is a huge block and one of the largest blocks in the state. We welcome the concept of a Mirik sub-division, but in spite of its potential to be upgraded to a sub-division, we feel that Bijanbari has been overlooked by the state government. We want Bijanbari to be trifurcated into three blocks with two sub-divisions.”

Hill political parties unite to seek Bijanbari Subdivision

The sub-division demand committee that was formed on June 19 has proposed that Bijanbari, comprising the areas of Rimbick-Lodhoma, Bijanbari-Pulbazar and Darjeeling, be trifurcated into three development blocks. It also wants the Rimbick-Lodhoma and Bijanbari-Pulbazaar development blocks to be created into two separate sub-divisions.

“It is the question of the people’s wish and their necessities. Our committee comprises representation from various political parties and we want to take forward the demand to its positive conclusion in one voice,” said the BSDC convener, who is also a GJM central committee leader of Bijanbari.

The GJM, although opposed to the state government’s move to form development boards, has given its consent for the creation of new districts and sub-divisions. Similar demands have started cropping up and have also started gaining momentum, following the state government’s recent decision to form a separate Kalimpong district and a Mirik sub-division, the latter presently being one of the blocks under Kurseong sub-division.

Topographically, Bijanbari block under Darjeeling sub-division measures 415.69 sq km and is one of the eight blocks of the district. It has a total population of 1,26,747 spread over 23 GPs. It has 94 khasmal, revenue villages, tea gardens and forest mouzas. Income sources include paddy, tea, maize, potato, ginger and cardamom cultivation.

Lama said the district magistrate responded positively and assured the committee of starting the process of creating new blocks soon. “The DM assured us he would look into the demand of division of blocks and start the process as the matter is under his purview. And regarding the demand for sub-divisions, he has promised to communicate with the state government, which is the final authority,” the DSDC convener said.

The committee has also proposed that the Rimbick-Lodhoma, Bijanbari-Pulbazaar and Darjeeling development blocks be formed with five, eight and 10 gram panchayats, respectively.

(EOIC)

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Gorkhaland: A performance Audit

6:07 PM

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West Bengal

Writes: N N Ojha

The demand for Gorkhaland as a political and administrative entity separate from the province of Bengal (now state of West Bengal) has the formidable distinction of being the oldest surviving statehood demand within the Indian Union. Equally redoubtable is its distinction of having enjoyed and also continuing to enjoy absolutely unconditional support from not just majority but totality of the masses in the region.

In the normal course such prolonged, uninterrupted survival of a movement, its intensity and the absolute mass support would be infallible catalysts for its sure success. In the case of Gorkhaland however ironically success has remained elusive for over a century notwithstanding the presence of all these prerequisites.

It is this paradox of elusive success anyhow that a performance audit of the stakeholders including the protagonists and the opponents of the movement is seriously called for. After all a performance audit is complete only if it assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonists as well as antagonists.

Gorkhaland Map

First, the protagonists, the levels of their performance and a fiercely objective assessment to see if there are some Trojan horses and fifth columnists who taking advantage of the inborn simplicity of the Gorkha might be engaged in covertly subverting or weakening the movement even while overtly pretending to be its supporters. This is important, as hidden adversaries could be far more dangerous than open enemies.

Topping the list of diehard, unflinching supporters of Gorkhaland obviously would be the common men and women, the masses inhabiting the region irrespective of caste, color, creed or religion. The Hindus, Muslims, Christians, tribals, non-tribals, Marwaris, Biharis, Bengalis for whom the region has been home for generations are all without exception the staunchest supporters of state hood for Gorkhaland; their commitment absolutely unconditional right since 1907 when we have the first recorded evidence of the demand. It is indeed heartening that repeated efforts by the powers that be to divide the masses along communal or ethnic lines with lures of development boards or job quotas haven’t ever succeeded beyond a negligible degree.

Such absolute mass support is unique to Gorkhaland as in most others cases in which statehood has been granted till recently there were sizeable sections of population within the affected regions who were not supportive of the proposals and who accepted the divisions helplessly as a fiat accompli. In the case of Telangana, Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand there have been sections of th population who never supported the idea of bifurcation and who even today fondly recall ‘the good old days’ when their respective states happened to be united.

On the contrary in the case of Gorkhaland you won’t come across a single soul who would wish that the region should continue to be a part of west Bengal. The only exception perhaps could be some self-serving turncoats acting under the lure of mundane temptations from powerful vested interests operating probably at the behest of Kolkata centric ruling dispensation. The number of such fifth columnists mercifully is so small that one could count them on ones fingertips.

How do we assess the performance level of the masses; optimal, average or poor? Just look at the movement of the 1980s under the stewardship of the Late Subhash Ghising, the subsequent phase from 2007 to 2011 under the firebrand Bimal Gurung or the most recent spell of July – August 2013 under the combined might of the GJAC. Each time the response of the masses has been selfless and overwhelming. They sat on dhrnas, took out long marches, suffered long spells of strikes faced physical torture and mental humiliation at the hands of the police and paramilitary forces and above all sacrificed their lives in thousands without any expectation in return except for statehood. Even today the masses are ready to respond with full force to any call from a leadership that could command their trust and confidence. The level of performance of this segment of the stakeholders is thus optimal, extraordinary and highly commendable.

Let us now go into the modus operandi and performance level of the political parties and leaders of the region as they come next in the list of stakeholders. While dealing with political parties we have to focus only on the hill based parties as the mainstream parties of west Bengal like TMC or CPM have been and shall continue to be openly against creation of Gorkhaland out of concern for their own survival back home. The national parties e.g. the Indian National Congress (INC) or BJP shall at best be indifferent fence sitters as the (Gorkhaland) issue hardly affects their political fortunes. After all our political worth is just one seat in the Lok Sabha. (Remember Ms Rough & Tough exhorting the BJP during the 2014 general elections not to break up Bengal for ‘just one seat’).

The hostility of west Bengal’s political parties and indifference of the national parties need not dampen our spirits as we are more than compensated by the unanimous support the movement receives from almost every hill based party barring the one that refuses to disengage from a senseless and futile propaganda that the region’s larger interest lies not in statehood but in being a ‘Sixth Schedule area’ within the state of west Bengal. We may however ignore this party’s activities, as these have been repeatedly rejected by the masses. (In two earlier write ups in this column I had given detailed analysis of their stand. ‘The Sixth Schedule Cacophony’ [details http://bit.ly/1Hgh7Sb] and ‘A Full & Final Settlement?’ [Details: http://bit.ly/1HYztKY)

In so far as the other hill based political outfits are concerned they are all agreed on the goal i.e. Gorkhaland even though they might differ in the approach to achieve the goal. The spectacular show of unity displayed by all the parties during the agitation of July – August 2013 when all of them came under the collective banner of the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) however goes to prove that their differences aren’t insurmountable. It is however regrettable that the show of unity proved woefully short lived. In a nutshell the level of performance of the political parties and leaders of the region is barely satisfactory and in the absence of unity they may not be able to deliver.

Can we expect success in spite of undiluted hostility of the mainstream political parties of west Bengal and unconcern of the national parties? I am optimistic for at least two or three reasons. First the unconditional and undying mass support; second near unanimity among all he hill based political outfits and third, the compulsions of political morality on the part of BJP to react favorably to the demand because of the support it got from us in the last parliamentary election and a commitment made by BJP’s most powerful leader Narendra Modi during his campaign speeches.

Can we hazard any guess as to the likely time frame for success? My own guess for whatever it is worth is that till the west Bengal assembly elections due in May 2016 the BJP shall remain non committal as any public perception of conceding to the demand may cost them votes in the plains of west Bengal. Post 2016 however I do hope things to move favorably. How fast they move might depend largely on how unitedly and intensely we make the demand audible in New Delhi through memorandums, delegations and if need be the more common methods of protests such as dharnas and hunger strikes. Such activities shall be unavoidable to enable the BJP to argue across Bengal that the demand simply couldn’t be ignored any longer as otherwise the situation could get volatile and go out of control.

What happens if we miss the bus during the present BJP led government’s entire term of 5 years? Well we simply can’t afford to miss. Nor can the government afford to give us the miss going by the likely consequences that might follow such an eventuality. If Gorkhaland is denied, we end up as losers but the government too doesn’t emerge as a winner. What the government loses is the trust and good will of the Gorkha. Besides the BJP leading the government in Delhi loses its moral face for not honoring a solemn commitment made by its highest leader Narendra Modi to the people during his election campaign.

The people in the region are already disenchanted with the all the previous governments since independence and any further dillydallying could quickly turn their disenchantment into alienation. Leadership of the movement might pass into the hands of hardliners and its Gandhian character diluted beyond recognition. On the contrary if Gorkhaland is granted we emerge as winners and the government itself also emerges as the winner of the trust and everlasting gratitude of people in an important geostrategic region.

Given an option won’t a sensible government choose a win-win option over a loose-loose one? And no one can deny that the BJP led NDA government in Delhi is for sure a sensible government.

[We welcome back Mr. OJHA... Who just recovered from a heart surgery. He writes exclusively for DT and his column The Expositor can be read here: http://darjeelingtimes.com/category/columns/the-expositor-n-n-ojha/]

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CPRM announced Assembly election candidates from three hill constituencies

9:56 AM

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Politics

Darjeeling 20 Mar 2016 The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist today announced the names of its candidates from the three hill constituencies for the Assembly election. The CPRM, which was formed in 1996 by disgruntled CPM leaders of the Darjeeling hills, has never contested Assembly elections. The party had earlier short listed two names from each hill constituency.

CPRM president RB Rai, the former Rajya and Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, announced the candidates’ names after a meeting of the party’s central committee. CPRM spokesperson Govind Chhetri will contest from Darjeeling, Arun Ghatani, general secretary of the Democratic Revolutionary Youth Front (DRYF), will stand from Kurseong, while CPRM central committee member Kishore Pradhan has been fielded from Kalimpong. Until now, the CPRM had not fielded its own candidates for the state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, partnering with or supporting candidates of other parties including that of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

While announcing the names, the CPRM president said, “Our primary agenda is a Gorkhaland state as also development and parcha-patta (land rights) of tea garden workers. However, it appears that none of the political parties have taken up this agenda in earnest, which is why we have decided to field our own candidates.”

When asked whether the party had kept the option open for an alliance despite fielding its own candidates, Rai said, “Any alliance will depend on the other parties accepting our agenda, otherwise we will go on our own.”

The CPRM came into being after most CPM leaders of the hills dissociated themselves from the parent body saying it was against the statehood demand. The party has continued to give priority to the statehood demand since then.

“The issue of our identity is of primary concern. We may or may not achieve a separate state, but we will continue to work towards achieving it under all circumstances,” Rai said.

On whether there was any plan for an alliance with the Democratic Front – the conglomeration of four political parties including the CPRM - Rai said it was an altogether separate matter. “The Front was formed with the twin objectives of a speedy trial of the Madan Tamang murder case and restoration of democracy in the hills. The issue of elections was not discussed even though some Front leaders had wanted to field consensual candidates,” he said.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), the All India Gorkha League (AIGL), and the Darjeeling Sikkim Ekikaran Manch (DSEM) - the other three constituents of the DF - are yet to announce their decision on the upcoming Assembly election.

(EOIC)

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Mamata Banerjee attacked CPM for supporting Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

9:25 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Writes Avijit Sinha

Ghoshpukur (Phansidewa), March 14: Mamata Banerjee today attacked Darjeeling district CPM leaders for their unilateral announcement of support for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in three hill Assembly seats.

Speaking at a Trinamul meeting here, Mamata said: "The CPM would always cry hoarse ahead of elections and say they would give blood and even life but not Gorkhaland. Now, they are expressing support. What does this mean? This simply means they are playing the divide and rule tactics again and inciting those who want to severe the Darjeeling hills from Bengal."

" Ohey Gurung Bhai, Siliguri Eso, Tomay Chara Amar Jeta Nai... (Dear brother Gurung, please come in Siliguri. I cannot win without you)," Mamata said, scoffing at Asok Bhattacharya, the CPM candidate for Siliguri. "They are speaking over the phone with Morcha leaders and asking for support in the plains, knowing well that the Morcha has an alliance with the BJP."

"The BJP and the Congress have also used the Gorkhaland issue time and again. Ahead of every election, these parties have, along with the CPM, asked for votes. This time, it will not work," she added.

The crowd at Mamata's meeting in Ghoshpukur on Monday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo 

On Saturday, Darjeeling district Left Front leaders had said they would support the Morcha to ensure Trinamul's defeat in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.

In the course of her speech, the Trinamul supremo said alliance among the Congress, CPM and the BJP would not be able to score in the upcoming elections. "The CPM, Congress and the BJP have come together and indulged in dirty politics. They do not have a proper political issue to speak of. They raise baseless allegations and consistently try to slander us," Mamata said.

"These parties do not have ethics and can sell themselves. Trinamul is a party of Ma-Mati-Manush and will never sell itself. They cannot stop us by resorting to such tactics. The CPM was in power for 34 years but did not do anything for the state. Same holds true for the Congress and the BJP which were in power at the Centre for many years. Leaders of these parties make lengthy statements ahead of the elections and never work for people," she added.

Mamata also touched upon the Centre's takeover of seven tea estates of the Duncans Goenka Group. "The central government led by the BJP acquired seven tea estates of the Duncans. We want to ask them why they are not paying salaries, wages and dues to the workers if they have acquired the tea gardens. Workers of these gardens should be paid by the Centre."

Later today, Mamata attended a 3km procession organised by Trinamul in Siliguri to mark Nandigram Diwas.

Telegraph

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Jan Andolan Party hopes for land rights talk with State

6:33 PM

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Parza Patta Demand Committee (PPDC)

JAP hopes for land rights talk

Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling, Feb. 24: The Jan Andolan Party today said it was hopeful that the state will start a dialogue with the leaders on granting land rights to tea garden and cinchona plantation residents before the model code of conduct is in place.

Yesterday, JAP leaders had met Arup Biswas, the state sports and youth affairs minister, in Siliguri.

Amar Lama, bureau member, JAP, today told The Telegraph: "We are very hopeful that the state government will initiate a dialogue... very soon. We are hopeful that it will happen before the model code of conduct is enforced."

More than 70 per cent of the nearly 8.75 lakh people in the region reside in tea gardens and cinchona plantations.

The Parcha Patta Demand Committee, a frontal organisation of JAP, had launched an indefinite protest here on February 17 demanding a dialogue with the state on the issue.

Today, JAP president Harka Bahadur Chhetri who visited the dharna venue said: "We will definitely contest the Assembly polls. On December 15, 2015, I had raised the land rights issue in the Assembly. We have discussed it with Arup Biswas and he will apprise the chief minister in detail. I am leaving for Calcutta today... In the Assembly, if I get an opportunity, I will discuss the matter with the chief minister."

He said: "We need to draw the state's attention from the grassroot and show the demand has support of people."

The ABGL, GNLF and CPM leaders have supported JAP by leaving comments on a register at the dharna venue.


Telegraph

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Netas fight for control as Hills crisis deepens

8:11 PM

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Trinamool Congress

Writes Nirmalya Banerjee 

 Jan 31, 2016 Kalimpong/Darjeeling: Even as political bosses race to wrest control of the Hills, economic problems and social tension deepen in the region. While the tea industry, the main source of economic in Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions, is in the doldrums, tourism is also uncertain because of political troubles. In Kalimpong, agriculture, the mainstay of the economy east of the Teesta, is also failing.

In spite of all the crises, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration refuses to take remedial steps, blaming the government of "non-cooperation" while the ruling Trinamool is hell bent on gaining a foothold in the Hills before the assembly polls. The GJM, on its part, seems to be wedded to the emotional appeal of Gorkhaland, a slogan to fall back upon in times of difficulty.

 Harka Bahadur Chettri, Bimal Gurung, Dr. Mahendra P Lama and Mamata Banerjee

"The GTA did not pay heed to vital issues," said senior CPM leader of Kalimpong Tara Sundas. "Goonda-tax from hydel projects is rampant. Land is barren now. Agriculture holdings are small. Farming did not get due support from the government. There is neither incentive nor subsidy from the GTA or the previous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council." The presence of two masters-the state government and the GTA-seems to complicate matters further. The CM's backing of Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who walked out of the GJM, has added to the political tension.

Cinchona plantation in Kalimpong, which is over 100 years old and employs nearly 8,000 people, including officers, is no longer profitable because of competition from Singapore, says Sundas. The state does not seem to make any effort to market the cinchona products any more. Kalimpong, once a thriving centre of commerce, has witnessed a decline in business since the closure of the border trade with Tibet after 1961. Once education hub, Kalimpong now has to look for students at his schools, Sundas says.

The other problem area is the tea industry. Once over 100 gardens dotted the Hills but now, the number has shrunk to 87. Nearly 21,000 hectares of tea plantation in Darjeeling employs about 55,000 permanent workers, besides 15,000 contract labourers during the plucking season. Tea industry representatives think the Plantation Labour Act is archaic and needs to be amended as garden owners find it difficult to bear the burden of facilities, such as free ration, electricity and medical benefits. "The crisis in the tea industry is going to affect Darjeeling badly," says academic and former Sikkim University vice-chancellor Mahendra P Lama, who suggested that a fresh approach should be made to develop Darjeeling and Dooars as part of the Centre's 'Look East Policy' through Northeast.

In its effort to empower the different communities in north Bengal and offer them financial aid, the state has set up a series of development boards for Lepchas, Tamangs, Sherpas, Bhutias and Mangars. In fact chief minister Mamata Banerjee's move seems to have struck a cord with the people, with Lyangsong Tamsang, chairman of Mayel Lyang Lepcha Development Board, pointing out that the Tribal Welfare Department of the state government, pucca structures, with toilets, electricity, drinking water and furniture, were set up for over 60 night schools for Lepchas in Darjeeling with the help of an annual grant of Rs 35 crore. Nearly 3,000 pucca residential houses have also been built, besides steps being taken to protect the community's language and culture. But GJM leaders see the development boards as a move to divide the communities and weaken the GTA. A senior Nepali Sahitya Sammelan members claimed the distribution of aids triggered fights and heart-burn and feared, it might lead to social tension.

TNN 

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GJM ready for alliance "Sole Aim is To Defeat Trinmool" - Bimal Gurung

10:30 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Bimal Gurung today said the sole aim of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the coming Assembly polls was the defeat of Trinamul and the hill party was ready to forge an alliance with the CPM or the Congress for the purpose.

Talking to journalists at Dagapur, near Siliguri, yesterday afternoon, the Morcha president said: " Trinamul ko jaise bhi ho harana hai (Trinamul has to be defeated anyhow)."

Gurung went on: "We had supported Trinamul in the 2011 Assembly polls and given a reply to the erstwhile (Left Front) government through the ballot after it had fired bullets at us. It seems the time has come again to give a befitting reply to the chief minister and Trinamul, who are indulging in the politics of division. We are in the process of devising a strategy to ensure Trinamul's defeat and will field candidates in the maximum possible Assembly seats across north Bengal. We are against the divisive politics and will soon organise a public meeting in Siliguri, in which people from different communities will participate in large numbers."

GJM ready for alliance "Sole Aim is To Defeat Trinmool" - Bimal Gurung

This is the second time in the past 24 hours that the Morcha chief has spoken in an aggressive manner against Trinamul. Yesterday, he had challenged Mamata to contest from any of the three Assembly seats in the hills.

Asked if the Morcha would ally with anti-Trinamul parties, Gurung did not rule out the possibility.

"There might be an alliance with the Congress or the CPM, but we will never tie up with Trinamul. The chief minister is doing politics in a dangerous manner in the hills by forming boards for different communities. She has never taken any such decision with regard to the plains where several minority communities live in. This shows she is resorting to divisive politics only in the hills. We will no longer let such politics work in the hills and will take all possible efforts to defeat her party in the Assembly elections," said the Morcha chief.

Gurung, a Morcha source said, would launch the election campaign highlighting peace and amity.

"He visited the Terai today and will tour the Dooars to kick-off our election campaign. The idea is to explain how the hills are suffering because of Trinamul's politics," the source said.

However, CPM state secretary, Surjya Kanta Mishra, however, said the Morcha would have to snap ties with the BJP to form an alliance with the Left.

Told about Gurung's comment on an anti-Trinamul alliance, Surjya Kanta Mishra said in Siliguri: "They (Morcha) will have to snap its ties with the BJP and then, it can join hands with us. We cannot induct anybody who has ties with the BJP into our fold. Like we want Trinamul to be removed from power in the state, we want the BJP to be dislodged from the Centre."

Later in the evening, Morcha sources said the Terai committee of the party had been reshuffled and Shankar Adhikary was made the new president and Babu Lama the general secretary.

Source - Telegraph‎

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"Democratic Front" Leaders Meet Governor to Demand Bimal Gurung Arrest

9:47 AM

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Politics

 Vivek Chhetri

The Democratic Front, an alliance of five anti-Gorkha Janmukti Morcha parties, yesterday demanded the arrest of Bimal Gurung in the Madan Tamang murder case and requested the governor to ask the state to "use its wisdom" regarding providing security and a red beacon to the GTA chief executive.

Democratic Front Leaders Meet Governor to Demand Bimal Gurung Arrest

A seven-member delegation of the front led by convenor Pratap Khati met governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at the Raj Bhavan here this morning.

According to Khati, they told the governor that the CBI should not wait for the court's order. "Why should Bimal Gurung be treated differently? Because he is the chief of the GTA? He should be treated as any other murder accused as his name figures in the chargesheet. He should be arrested immediately and the CBI should not wait for the court's direction. There is a possibility of him influencing witnesses," Khati said . "We want the state to use its wisdom on the issue of providing security cover and a vehicle fitted with a red beacon to Bimal Gurung."

Tamang's wife Bharati was also part of the delegation.

Gurung, who has been named in the CBI chargesheet as an accused in the Madan Tamang murder case, enjoys a rank equivalent to a cabinet minister. He is entitled to a police convoy and allowed to have a red beacon on his official car.

The CID and the CBI have named 54 people in their chargesheets. Of them, 23 were named in the CBI chargesheet in Calcutta on Friday. The list included almost all the top rung leaders of the Morcha.

Khati, the general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League of which Madan Tamang was the chief said: "We fear that few of the witnesses might have been bought over."

On Monday, the city sessions court of Calcutta had directed the CBI not to proceed against any of the accused. The investigating officer has been asked to appear on June 6.

The Raj Bhavan has not issued any statement regarding today's meeting.

Tamang was hacked to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010.

Today, the Democratic Front, which was formed yesterday by the ABGL, GNLF, CPRM, CPM and Sikkim-Darjeeling Ekikaran Manch, submitted a memorandum to the governor regarding the matter.

"The murderers, starting with the top echelon of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, have now been identified and arraigned by the investigation that culminated with the submission of the supplementary chargesheet by the CBI to the concerned court. However, we regret to note that the state has permitted them to roam around with impunity after their indictment and even today, we are yet to see a single warrant issued for their arrest," the memorandum reads.

Khati said after the meeting: "The governor gave us a patient hearing and said the memorandum would be forwarded to the home ministry."

The front also demanded that the Morcha should not be allowed to hold public meetings and rallies, "until the disposal of the trial for the murder" as it feared that the leadership would issue threats in public.

Source: : Telegraph

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