GNLF delegation led by Mann Ghisingh to meet Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna

9:54 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 17: The GNLF today said a delegation of party leaders led by Mann Ghisingh would meet Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna on June 20 at the invitation of the chief minister.

Political observers said the meeting might be the formalisation of a political alignment that had taken on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the Assembly elections.

Harka Bahadur Chhetri's Jana Andolan Party, Trinamul and the GNLF had come together to fight the Morcha in the Assembly polls in the three hill constituencies. While Chhetri was the JAP candidate in Kalimpong, Trinamul contested from Kurseong and Darjeeling.

N.B. Chhetri, the spokesman for the GNLF, said: "We had written to the chief minister sometime back expressing our wish to meet her. We have been invited for a meeting at Nabanna on June 20. Our party president, Mann Ghisingh, will be leading a six-member delegation for the meeting which is scheduled for 4pm."

Mann Ghisingh to meet Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna

The GNLF had also backed Trinamul candidate Bhaichung Bhutia in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 general elections. Despite the support, the hill party couldn't cement its relation with Mamata Banerjee. In between the 2014 Parliament elections and the Assembly polls, GNLF leaders had met Mamata only once in Darjeeling.

"We had met the chief minister once when she was in Darjeeling (after the Lok Sabha polls) but it was more of a courtesy call. Apart from that, our party president was invited to Mamata's swearing-in recently. This time, we are hopeful of the meeting. We also believe this would be the beginning of more meetings," said Chhetri.

The GNLF delegation is looking at using the meeting to strengthen its ties with Mamata. "We have nothing in mind. There are many issues which we need to take up with the chief minister. But everything will depend on how the meeting progresses," said Chhetri, who is also a former Darjeeling MLA.

The combined efforts of the JAP, Trinamul and the GNLF and also the support of chairpersons of development boards of various hill communities did give a tough fight to  the Morcha, especially in Kalimpong. In all the three hill Assembly segments, the Morcha’s victory margin went down by nearly 50 per cent compared to the 2011 Assembly election results.

In a separate development, Darjeeling MLA Amar Singh Rai said on Friday that all three legislators of the Morcha had met Mamata in her chamber in the Assembly building and thanked her for creating Kalimpong district


Via Telegraph

READ MORE

Hills on agitation path for salary hike & dues spearheaded by GJM

10:18 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 13: GTA offices and some tea gardens are in the grip of movements spearheaded by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the hills.

While all 284 Group A and B ad hoc employees at the hill body started a pen-down strike this morning to demand a salary hike, the Morcha-affiliated tea garden trade union today announced a 72-hour relay hunger strike on the district magistrate's office premises this week to press for the payment of dues in plantations owned by Trinamul Congress MP K.D. Singh.

Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, the trade union of the Morcha, launched the strike to demand a hike in salaries of Group A and B casual staff at the GTA similar to the one effected by the state government for Group C and D ad hoc workers from March 1. The Group A and B employees include engineers, doctors, managers and school teachers.

The agitating GTA employees outside Lal Kothi on Monday. (Suman Tamang)

"In the GTA, the highest amount a Group A officer like engineers and doctors currently receives is Rs 21,000 per month, while some drivers in Group C section are now getting Rs 22,500 following the recent hike. This is unfair. We will continue the agitation until the government rectifies the anomaly," said Deepak Sharma, the spokesman for the Sangathan.

The GTA has over 19,000 employees in total and 5,321 of them were appointed on a temporary basis. Since there are permanent employees in the Group A and B categories and today was the first day of the strike, the GTA's functioning was not affected.

The Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union today said it had decided to start the 72-hour relay fast in the district magistrate's office from June 16 and block NH55 on June 21 and 22 to press for the payment of dues in the three gardens run by the Alchemist Group.

The union claims that the dues come to Rs 10 crore.

Early this morning, tea garden and cinchona plantation workers also demonstrated for an hour before reporting for work to demand land rights for the inhabitants of the tea and cinchona plantations.

Telegraph

READ MORE

GJM & JAP both demands Inclusion of Dooars in Kalimpong district

11:12 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 7: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Jana Andolan Party, two principal parties in the hills, have suggested the incorporation of additional areas from the Dooars in the proposed Kalimpong district.

The proposals were made at an all-party meeting convened by Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava here today to seek feedback on the creation of Kalimpong district and Mirik subdivision. Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing - the Dooars areas the Morcha wanted to be in the Kalimpong district - are part of some of the 398 mouzas the party had demanded to be brought under the GTA's jurisdiction.

Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, said: "We support the creation of Kalimpong district, a demand we had first raised. We want areas like Sipchu, Toribari, Bagracote Pathorjhora, Ellenbari,Chilauna and Samsing (which are presently in Jalpaiguri district) to be incorporated in the new district. These areas are contiguous to the present Kalimpong subdivision."

The all-party meeting in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Giri said the Morcha wanted three subdivisions and seven blocks in the new district, and three blocks in Mirik subdivision.

Anmole Prasad, a member of the JAP's bureau, said the party had made a written submission on various aspects of the formation of the Kalimpong district. The JAP also wants parts of the Jalpaiguri district to be included in the new district.

"We want the boundaries of the new district to be redrawn so that its two sides have highways and a compact zone is created," said Prasad.

The JAP basically wants areas lying north of NH31 in Jalpaiguri district to be the southern boundary of the Kalimpong district and areas like Kalijhora, Lohapul, Suntalay and Rambi, which are along NH10 and in the Kurseong subdivision, to be the western border.

The JAP wants Kalimpong district to have three subdivisions and 10 blocks. The party demanded at the meeting that four blocks be created to make up the new Mirik subdivision.

"We also seek the formation of a committee comprising stakeholders, NGOs, experts and citizens to monitor and assist the formation of the district and the subdivision. Future meetings should be held at respective locations (Kalimpong and Mirik) to enable detailed discussions and new administrative townships should be created there to de-congest the area," said Prasad.

Representatives of parties like the GNLF, ABGL, CPRM and the Trinamul Congress also attended the meeting.

Srivastava said the parties had been asked to submit the suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening.

"An all-party meeting is usually called before the start of the process to create a new district. We have asked political parties to submit their suggestions in writing by tomorrow evening so that we can go through them and then prepare a report based on administrative feasibility. The report will be submitted to the government as early as possible," said Srivastava.

Telegraph

READ MORE

Central committee formed to look into the demand for ST status to 11 hill communities - GJM

11:15 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Writes Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 3: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today advised Trinamul women chief in the hills, Sharda Subba Rai, to consult her party leadership before making statements on granting tribal status to 11 communities.

"The statement issued by Sharda Subba Rai, the Trinamul candidate who lost the recent Assembly election from Darjeeling, clearly suggests that she is unaware of the developments over the tribal status issue. It is also very clear that she has not consulted senior Trinamul leaders and we suggest that she be clear on an issue that is as important as granting tribal status before making any comments," said Binay Tamang, assistant general secretary of the Morcha.

The Morcha was reacting to Subba's charges that the hill party and its ally at the Centre, the BJP, were not sincere on the tribal issue.

Central committee formed to look into the demand for ST status to 11 hill communities

"On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for the introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry," Sharda Subba said had said.

Five communities from Chattisgarh, two each from Assam, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu and one each from Tripura and Puducherry have been identified, the Trinamul leader had said.

"The Morcha is an ally of the BJP but there was no mention of a single community from the hills. This clearly proves that both the Morcha and the BJP are not sincere about the demand and are only using it as an election plank as municipal polls are due this year and GTA elections next year," Sharda Subba had said.

Tamang today said: "On April 2, the Centre formed a committee to look into the demand of granting ST status to 11 communities. Whereas in the case of the committees that were recommended on May 25, such a committee had been formed in 2013. It is after the report of the 2013 committee that the Centre is now preparing to place a bill in Parliament. Our case is different as the committee has only been formed now, that too because of our incessant pressure, and we are confident that the recommendation from this committee will be favourable for us," said Tamang.

"The developments clearly suggest that Sharda Subba Rai is confused on the issue," said Tamang.


Via Telegraph

READ MORE

GJM & BJP bluffing on Scheduled Tribe and land rights issues alleges TMC

9:03 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry but there was not a mention of a single community from the hills.

Writes Vivek Chhetri 

Darjeeling, June 2: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today brought out a rally to press for the inclusion of 11 communities in the Scheduled Tribe list but Trinamul quickly alleged that the Morcha, along with the BJP, was playing with the sentiments of hill people.

The prompt response of Trinamul suggests the tribal-status issue, along with granting of land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantations inhabitants, is likely to take centre stage for some time now.

The rally, organised by the Yuva Morcha, started from the Darjeeling Motor Stand and culminated at a street corner meeting at Chowrasta in Darjeeling today.

Priyabardhan Rai, the Yuva Morcha general secretary, said: "We demand that the 11 communities must be granted tribal status as early as possible. We are planning to hold similar rallies in other parts of the hills soon."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung during the
BJP election campaign rally at Birpara on April 7, 2016 in Dooar

But within two hours of the rally, Sharda Subba Rai, who was the Darjeeling Trinamul candidate in the recently concluded Assembly election and a senior party leader, called a news conference and slammed the Morcha and the BJP.

"On May 25, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for introduction of two bills in Parliament to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in five states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura - and identification of new communities in the Union Territory of Puducherry," Sharda Subba said.

Two communities from Assam, five from Chattisgarh, two from Jharkhand, two from Tamil Nadu and one each from Tripura and Puducherry have been identified, the Trinamul leader said.

"The Morcha is an ally of the BJP but there was not a mention of a single community from the hills. This clearly proves that both the Morcha and the BJP are not sincere about the demand and are only using it as an election plan as municipal polls are due this year and GTA elections next year," Sharda Subba said.

"While the people are being asked to come out to participate in rallies, serious work is not being done by the leaders of both the parties," she said.

On April 2, when the model code of conduct was already in place in Bengal, the ministry of tribal affairs had issued an order constituting a committee to examine and recommend on the demand of granting tribal status to various Gorkha communities "living in Sikkim and other Gorkha dominated states and areas."

Roopak Chaudhuri, deputy secretary, Union ministry for tribal affairs, in the order had stated: "It has been decided to constitute a committee headed by Shri Ashok Pal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, to examine and recommend regarding granting of Scheduled Tribe Status to eleven communities, namely Bhujel, Gurung, Mangar, Newar, Jogi, Khas, Rai, Sunwar, Thami, Yakkha (Dewan) and Dhimal living in Sikkim and other Gorkha-dominated states and areas."

The committee is to submit its recommendation on the matter to the ministry of tribal affairs within three months.

D.K. Pradhan, convener of the Morcha's Study Forum, said: "She has got confused with the two developments. She needs to understand the issue properly and we appeal that an issue of this importance should not be politicised. We will issue a detailed reaction after going through her statement tomorrow."


Via Telegraph

READ MORE

Dooars voted for Trinamul and BJP Assembly Election 2016

8:06 AM

•

Trinamool Congress

Dooars goes to TMC & BJP

Writes ANIRBAN CHOUDHURY & AVIJIT SINHA

May 20: The tea belt in the Dooars has voted for Trinamul and the BJP, the parties that have negligible or no trade unison base in the region for the first time.

Trinamul has won four of the five seats and the BJP bagged one.

In the past, Malbazar, Nagrakata, Madarihat, Kalchini and Kumargram were with the Left Front or the Congress.

While Malbazar and Nagrakata are in Jalpaiguri district Madarihat, Kalchini and Kumargram are in Alipurduar.

"There was a common trend in the tea belt of the Dooars and Terai. In seats where the Citu or Utuc-backed unions were strong, the CPM or the RSP used to win and in places where Intuc-backed union was strong, the Congress would win," Gopal Pradhan, the president of the Utuc-backed Dooars Cha Bagan Workers' Union, said. "This is the first time that tea workers have voted for Trinamul and the BJP."

He added: "While the BJP does not have any trade union base in the tea belt, Trinamul has many and the total support base of such unions - which claim to be affiliates of the INTTUC - is less compared to Citu, Utuc or Intuc."

Trade union leaders said the campaigns by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee and interventions by both the state and central governments had worked.

"Tea workers who used to vote for the parent parties of the trade unions have started differentiating between unions and political parties," Mani Kumar Darnal, the joint general secretary of the Intuc-backed National Union of Plantation Workers, said.

A change has also been seen in the Terai's two Assembly seats in Darjeeling district.

In Matigara-Naxalbari, Sankar Malakar of the Congress won by a margin of 18,627 votes. In Phansidewa, Sunil Tirkey of the Congress has won by 7,074 votes. In both the seats, BJP's votes have increased by around six times compared to 2011. Trinamul has increased its votes compared to 2014.

Manoj Tigga, the BJP winner from Madarihat, said tea workers had lost faith in unions. "They want state and Centre to address their issues."

Telegraph

READ MORE

Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Wins all 3 Hill Constituencies in Assembly Election 2016

3:15 PM

•

Trinamool Congress

19th May 2016 Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has won all three Hill Constituencies, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong in Assembly Election 2016.‎ Morcha candidates Amar Rai won from Darjeeling Dr Rohit Sharma won from Kurseong and Sarita Rai from Kalimpong.

Amar Rai, Darjeeling Municipal Chairman, secured  95386  votes and won by 49913 votes in Darjeeling where TMC Sarad Rai Subba got 45473 votes.

GJM‬ candidate Sarita Rai with 67693 votes Won by 11431 vote at ‪Kalimpong‬ Constituency where she had to face a tough fight from former MLA Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri Jan Andolan Party ( JAP) with around 56262 votes.

Similarly, In Kurseong  Dr. Rohit Sharma was able to retain his Legislative Assembly seat. Dr Sharma got over 86947 and comfortably won by 33726 votes. Shanta Chhetri for All India Trinamool Congress got around 53221 votes from the constituency.

 GJM candidates Amar Rai won from Darjeeling, Dr Rohit Sharma won from Kurseong and Sarita Rai from Kalimpong.

With GJM winning in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, Congress is winning in Matigara, Phansidewa and Islampur and CPI(M) winning in Siliguri there is no trace of TMC in Darjeeling District.

The tie up of GJM & BJP secured the alliance a total of seven seats in West Bengal, the best so far for BJP in the state. While BJP won Kharagpur and Baisnabnagar, its alliance with GJM sealed the victory in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Kalchini and Madarihat.

READ MORE