Youth Congress Protest Against Alleged ‪‎TMC‬ "Nepalis Go To Nepal" Statement

5:28 PM

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West Bengal

West Bengal Youth Congress have protested the Trinmool Congress activists alleged sloganeering "Nepalis go to Nepal" in Naxalbari.

In a deputation to the Darjeeling Superintendent of Police, Youth Congress have stated, "The ruling party TMC is indulging in a dangerous campaign by saying that the people of Nepali origion in the area under Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad will be sent back to Nepal if TMC wins the Mahakuma Parishad elections.

This gross violation of the Constitution of India which gives equal rights to all the Citizens of India irrespective of their caste, creed, sex or religion and Indian National Congress will never allow this type of violation."

West Bengal Youth Congress president Arindam Bhattacharya talking to the press after submiting the deputation

Refuting the allegations, TMC leader Gautam Deb has said it is a malicious political rumor spread by CPI(M) and have questioned the sincerity of the left towards the Gorkhali community.

He stated that TMC has always worked towards the betterment of Nepali community, and highlighted the various development boards formed for Tamang, Lepcha, Bhutia and Mangar communities as an example of their commitment towards ensuring a better future for the Gorkhalis.


Via TheDC

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Tea Joint Forum campaigns against Trinamul in Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad

11:59 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Leaders of the Joint Forum, the apex body of 24 trade unions of tea plantation workers, have said they will campaign for the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad polls with a plea to voters to keep Trinamul Congress at bay.

If Trinamul could be defeated in the three-tier rural polls, they said, the experiment will be replicated in the Assembly elections also.

Similar to the "Siliguri model", the initiative is the result of the success the forum could script earlier this year by getting tea planters to offer a good hike in the wages for the workers.

The forum's constituents are tea garden wings of the trade unions affiliated to the Congress, Left parties and other organisations.

Trinamul has three trade unions in the tea belt and none of them are members of the forum.

Darjeeling and Dooars Tea Workers Relief Organization - DAWN's photo

"We succeeded in getting a decent hike in wages, compared to previous pay rise. Besides, the state was forced to form an advisory committee to recommend minimum wages for tea garden workers. All these would not have been possible but for the initiative of the Joint Forum. The role of Trinamul's trade unions was not up to the mark during the wage talks," said Ziaur Alam, the Jalpaiguri district secretary of the Citu.

"In our campaign for the SMP polls, we are insisting that the workers join hands to achieve their rights and simultaneously ensure the development of their villages and their socio-economic uplift. It is necessary to maintain the unity so that the state government, which is not taking any step against tea planters accused of violating workers' rights and privileges, is forced to act," he added.

A senior Citu leader based in Darjeeling district said the forum's message was in consonance with the one passed on by the Left Front to voters in the SMP area and other parts of north Bengal.

"The Left Front has appealed to people to vote for any competent candidate other than the nominees fielded by Trinamul. The message was sent to stop Trinamul from coming to power at the SMP. In a similar manner, we are making it clear that the Trinamul trade unions have failed to meet the aspirations of the workers and could not fulfil their demands, though their party is in power in the state," said the Citu leader who didn't want to be named.

Elections to the SMP and by-polls to several other rural bodies in north Bengal will be held on October 3.

The trade unions said they intended to carry out a similar campaign in the 2016 Assembly elections.

"Trinamul has many trade unions for tea plantation labourers and it has created confusion among the workers. We will highlight this aspect during the campaign for the Assembly elections to keep Trinamul at bay. We are also expecting support from the trade union of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which has taken a vehement anti-Trinamul stance," said an INTUC leader in Jalpaiguri.

If the tea plantation workforce is united under the banner of the Joint Forum, Trinamul will be in a tight position in at least 11 Assembly segments in north Bengal.

Four constituencies in Darjeeling district, one constituency in North Dinajpur district, three constituencies each in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts have a substantial population of tea garden workers.

In 2011, despite having an alliance with the Congress, Trinamul was defeated in the constituencies where it had fielded candidates. The Congress won the seats where it contested.

Alok Chakraborty, the working president of Trinamul Tea Plantation Workers' Union, said the forum's efforts wouldn't succeed.

"It was our government that forced a substantial hike in wages. The Left never thought of implementing the minimum wages but our government took an initiative in that direction. Attempts by some unions to deter Trinamul from making inroads into the tea belt will not work," he said.

Source Telegraph

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CPIM hand behind renewal of ‪‎Gorkhaland‬ agitation - Gautam Deb

11:00 AM

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TMC

Minister Gautam Deb today said Bimal Gurung's decision to resume the statehood agitation was a result of a meeting between Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya and Swaraj Thapa, the principal advisor to the GTA.

"Bimal Gurung's decision to resume the movement for statehood is the outcome of the recent meeting between Asok Bhattacharya and Swaraj Thapa. It is after this meeting that Morcha leaders sharpened attacks at the state and our party," Deb said. "We feel that Asok Bhattacharya is inciting the (Gorkha Janmukti) Morcha to resume its movement. People who are trying to encourage those who want division of Bengal will not succeed."

On September 22, Thapa had called on Bhattacharya and both leaders had termed the meeting "personal".

CPIM hand behind renewal of ‪‎Gorkhaland‬ agitation - Gautam Deb Pic via Himalaya Darpan

Yesterday, Bimal Gurung, had said the Morcha would resume the movement soon.

Bhattacharya said: "I have said Swaraj Thapa is known to me for the past 10-12 years. It was entirely a personal visit. We have already cleared our stand over Gorkhaland and said that we don't want any division of state. Trinamul has given recognition to the demand by signing the GTA accord, where it was mentioned that Morcha was not dropping its demand for Gorkhaland. This has encouraged them."

Today, Trinamul published its manifesto for the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad polls.

Source Telegraph

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Darjeeling TMC and Congress files nominations for SMP election

11:09 AM

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SMP

Darjeeling district units of TMC and Congress files nominations for Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) polls. The TMC is contesting the election in alliance with the  Advashi Vikas Parishad where as Congress has decided to fight the election on its own and have filed the nominations for all nine seats.

TMC and Congress File Nominations for SMP Elections

Entering into a poll alliance with the Advashi Vikas Parishad, the Darjeeling district unit of the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday announced the names of its candidates contesting in the upcoming Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad election. After announcing the names of nine candidates, North Bengal Development Department minister Gautam Deb said, "Our party and government are working for the development of the Advashi community. Hence, we want them to partner us in every development and political ventures. This time around, AVP candidates will contest in TMC tickets."

Deb also maintained that since the TMC works for the welfare of all strata of society, party candidates would garner votes in large numbers. The nine TMC candidates are Nivamerry Tirkey, Sharmistha Chanda Roy, Suren Burman, Adhendu Biswas, Ratan Singh, Tarulata Das Singh, Ramchandra Lohar, Ayanul Haque and Kajol Ghosh. They will file their nomination papers on Thursday, the last date for doing so, said Deb.

The Darjeeling district unit of the Congress party today filed nomination papers of its nine candidates contesting in the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad polls at the office of the SDO. The Congress has decided to fight the election on its own. MLA Shankar Malakar said, "Our main fight will be with the Left Front and we are sure our candidates will win in all the nine seats." Of the nine candidates, Sunita Tamang is contesting from Naxalbari, Sujata Sarkar from Bagdogra, Sukumar Saibo from Patharghatta, Sujit Das from Matigara, Ataur Rahaman from Phansidewa, Kshith Singha from Bidhan Nagar, China Burman from Khoribari, Karlos Lakra from Ghoshpukur and Nirupama Singha Roy from Binnabari. 

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha starts selecting candidates for SMP election

6:15 PM

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Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad

Siliguri, Sept. 1: The Terai unit of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the party had started the process of selecting candidates for the three-tier polls of the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP).

Bimal Gurung addressing public in Dooars - a file photo

"Our party president (Bimal Gurung) has already announced that we will field candidates in the rural polls of Siliguri subdivision which are likely to be held on October 3. Accordingly, we have taken up the task of short-listing the seats of the SMP where we could contest and selecting the possible candidates," Shankar Adhikari, the president of the Morcha's Terai committee, said today.

He said the Morcha would field candidates in those seats where the party had a support base. "We would be fielding candidates in around 100 seats in gram panchayats, 14 seats in panchayat samitis and three seats of the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad," Adhikari said.


Elections will be held to 22 panchayats with a total of 462 seats, four panchayat samitis which together have 66 seats and in nine seats of the SMP.

Adhikari said the Morcha was yet to work out the seat-sharing with the BJP.

"We definitely have an alliance with the BJP but no decision has been taken so far on the sharing of seats. Discussions are in progress with BJP leaders at different levels. We are selecting only a portion of the seats for the contest as the Morcha has a tie-up with the BJP," said the Morcha leader.

In the SMP area, the Morcha has followers mainly in Naxalbari and Matigara.

Asked about CPM leader Jibesh Sarkar's statement that the Left party would seek the support of some parties, including the Morcha, in the SMP polls, Adhikari said: "We have not received any such proposal yet. Even if such a proposal reaches us, it is up to the central leaders to take a decision."

Source Telegraph

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Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to field own candidates for SMP elections

11:04 AM

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Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad

"GJM, (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) has several supporters in the Terai region who have been extending full support to the Gorkhaland movement ever since the inception of the GJM. Considering the views and aspirations of the people of the Terai region, GJM has decided to field it's own party candidates in the upcoming SMP (Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad) elections," Gurung said in a press release.

Bimal Gurung & John Barla

"The people of the Terai region have various problems, which can be solved only in a localized manner. The decision was taken by keeping this in mind," he added. According to Gurung, it was the unity of GJMM supporters that helped Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate SS Ahluwalia (Darjeeling MP) emerge victorious in the last Lok Sabha polls. "I have full hope that this time our candidates will emerge victorious as well," Gurung said. However, he did not disclose the names of the candidates.

Another regional party, the Kamtapur Progressive Party (KPP), which has a significant support base in the Matigara, Naxalbari, Kharibari and Phansidewa blocks in the plains, has said it will soon clear the air on whether it will support the BJP in the SMP elections or go it alone.

The State Election Commission (SEC) is likely to issue a notification for the SMP elections in the first week of September. The SEC has already informed anti-Trinamul political parties in writing that the SMP elections will be held on 3 October.

"The notification will be issued just a month before the 3 October polls, if things go in the right direction," SEC commissioner SR Upadhyay had told The Statesman on 18 August.

Source - Statesman 

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