Lack of Self-Respect and The Hill Communities

9:53 AM

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Opinion

OF MAMATA AND LOVE LOST – Lack of Self-Respect and The Hill Communities

Writes Upendra for The Darjeeling Chronicle

Dr. Martin Luther King once commented, "A man can't ride your back unless it's bent"... he was alluding to the fact that others can only suppress, discriminate, bully and humiliate you if you permit it to happen.

Sadly in the case of our hill populace, our back is not only bent, it is in fact broken... it might be more apt to say that we don't have a back, we have become spineless today. This does not emanate from our lack of bravery, rather it originates from the greed of a few people and majority of us keeping silent about it.

File pic showing one of the Board chiefs receiving cheque from Mamata

Pained at the state of Darjeeling, one of our readers Mr. Sidhant Sampang wrote two days ago:

“Good morning DC, I just got to know about Mamta's arrival to Darjeeling today from your post. My concern is regarding the mentality of our people. Yesterday I was in Darjeeling and what I saw is whole town was decorated with Mamta's photos (political ones, if it was Goverment hoardings then I would have nothing to say), TMC flags, festoons and even in way to Darjeeling it can be seen.

Chowrasta's situation is even worst pointing which you have already wrote in your previous post , thank you.

Now what matters is tourists who are mainly non-locals after seeing all this will think that people of Darjeeling are now happy with Mamta and with her developmental projects. Which they take along themselves to their respective places and hence acts like cyanide to our dream our need.

Yes we are living in democratic country and every individual, every party has equal rights and we can't stop them doing so but what we can do is we can spread awareness among masses. We can talk about the outcome of these all. Let's not let to ruin our SELF-RESPECT and IDENTITY because of our some bloody morons leaders.”

Yesterday, Mamata played the role of a regent – declaring a development board, forgiving police cases against GJM cadres, announcing money for this project and that. Packed crowd of our local people cheered and clapped each and every thing she said.

Nothing wrong in that…

But take a moment to reflect on what Mr. Sidhant Sampang has written… are we willing to forego our self-respect and our collective identity as Gorkhalis for a few crore rupees?

If we are not careful, the repercussions of the various boards being allowed to come into existence will be felt in about 10 years from now, when each individual Jaati will prefer to place their community over the collective Gorkhali identity.

Most of these development boards are not formed for the benefit of our hill people, rather they are used as bribes for toeing the Bengal line. Majority of the people I have talked to, irrespective of their community – Lepcha, Tamang, Sherpa, Bhutia, Rai, Limbu, Newar, Sunuwar, Kami, Damai, Chettri, Bahun, Dhimal, Thami, Mangar and so on…. all express their dismay and disgust at a few sellouts using our community ko good name for personal benefits. However, all of us keep quiet against these nefarious elements, who are selling out the future and well-being of our children for a few Crore rupees.

Having said that, even the GJM is equally guilty of what is happening today. Darjeeling had unequivocally supported them for Gorkhaland, but GJM were the 1st to sell out, when they rushed in to accept this non-functioning and powerless GTA.

What is happening today is a direct outcome of that blunder.

Perhaps time has come for us to question the existence, use and utilization of these various development boards and question its role in subverting our demand for a separate state.

If we are to seek Gorkhaland, all the development boards need to be dismantled.

Let us start by dismantling the very 1st development board that Mamata formed – the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

It will serve us well to remember that Mamata may love the hills… but she doesn't love the hill people, and she never will.

Originally posted here http://on.fb.me/1Ej2gdp

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Vote for BJP in SMC election says Bimal Gurung

9:15 AM

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SMC

The BJP has fielded Bimal Gurung to woo the Gorkha-heavy Siliguri wards, but some in the party are worried that the move may alienate other plains voters who are against the demand for Gorkhaland.

Bimal Gurung

A section of the BJP candidates, however, is hopeful of securing considerable votes, particularly in wards where there is a heavy presence of Gorkha population. Other candidates are apprehensive of losing support of the anti-Gorkhaland voters.

Siliguri votes on April 25.

Gurung held the meeting at the banquet hall of an amusement park in Dagapur, around 1km from here, today where he implored Gorkhas to vote for the BJP.

Around 200 people attended the meeting, which included party leaders and workers of Siliguri and around 10-odd BJP candidates.

The BJP has fielded candidates in 46 of the 47 wards.

Gurung said: "Since 2009, we have had an alliance with the BJP. This is why we are urging our party workers, supporters and in general all voters of the Gorkha community to support the BJP candidates at the civic polls of Siliguri."

On being told that the local BJP leaders here have said that the party is against the division of Bengal, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief said: "We very much have the agenda (for Gorkhaland) and I don't know what they (local BJP leaders) have said on this issue. On our part, we are supporting the BJP."

The last-minute plan of the BJP to bring in Gurung to consolidate the Gorkha vote, has been interpreted as an attempt to secure at least some of the seats in SMC, observers said.

The wards which have a strong Gorkha presence are 1, 2, 41, 42, 43, 45 and 46. More than 60,000 Gorkhas reside in Siliguri.

"It is true that the BJP had secured a lead in 22 wards of the SMC in the last Parliament polls, but the situation has changed now. It seems the party is trying to consolidate the Gorkha votes to get at least some of the seats. However, considering the strong anti-Gorkhaland sentiment of the town, it is hard to say whether the BJP will eventually gain. There is always a risk that anti-Gorkhaland voters might shun the BJP," an observer said.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri tried to make a distinction between the Morcha's demand in the hills and its campaign in the plains.

"The statehood issue will not figure in the civic polls. Here, we are urging people to vote for the BJP candidates over the issue of development. The BJP is there at the Centre and bringing the BJP in the SMC will expedite the development of Siliguri," said Giri, who was also present at the meeting.

Morcha leaders in the plains, while speaking about their support base, said they have a considerable number of followers in seven-eight wards of the SMC.

"In total, around 17 per cent of the total voters of SMC are Gorkhas. As far as our party's support base is concerned, we have our committee offices in seven wards of the SMC. In all these wards, the vote of Morcha workers and supporters and Gorkha voters in general, definitely matters in the civic poll," said Shankar Adhikari, the Siliguri subdivisional committee president of the Morcha.

BJP candidates present at the meeting also tried to clarify that the anti-Gorkhaland stand, favoured by many Siliguri residents, would not work against them.

"We are contesting the elections for the sake of development of Siliguri. The Morcha is our ally and it is natural that their supporters will support us," said Bidyut Majumdar, the BJP candidate contesting from ward 45.

"The separate state issue has nothing to do with the civic elections," he said.

Local BJP leaders, however, refrained from commenting on the meeting and insisted that the party does not want a partition of the state.

"We have categorically mentioned and want to reiterate that the BJP does not want any further partition of Bengal. People of Siliguri know this and are spontaneously supporting us," said Rathindra Bose, the Siliguri (organisational) district president of BJP.

"We have nothing to say about the meeting (by Gurung)," he added.

Source: Telegraph

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Collection of “anti-Gorkhaland movement fund” by an organization claiming to be Shiv Sena in Siliguri

7:22 PM

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Siliguri

The collection of “anti-Gorkhaland movement fund” by an organization claiming to be Shiv Sena in Siliguri has created tension in the town.

collection of “anti-Gorkhaland movement fund” by an organization claiming to be Shiv Sena in Siliguri - pic- DT

A coupon for Rs 20 issued in the name of Shiv Sena from an address in Shivram Pally, at Haiderpara, in Siliguri  s circulating in the town. Signatures of the president and the spokesperson of the organization can also be seen on the coupon.

A concerned Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporter said: “GJM still being a constituent of NDA should raise this issue at the highest level, and if these people are using Shiv Sena's name to raise money, then they should be legally challenged.

“If the coupon is real, then GJM should explain why one of their ally is collecting anti-Gorkhaland funds to the public”, said another concerned resident. (HS)

Source: EOI

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