विमल गुरुङलाई मर्न दिन्न भन्ने भाजपा सरकार पनि विमललाई पाखा लगाउँदै विनयको पक्षमा! ।

7:14 PM

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SS Ahluwalia

सिलगढी । लोकसभा चुनाउको ठीक एक वर्षअघि विनय तामाङ केयरटेकर रहेको गोर्खाल्याण्ड टेरिटोरियल एडमिनिस्ट्रेशन (जीटीए)- लाई केन्द्र सरकारले प्रायः १३५ करोड़ रुपियाँको आर्थिक गुच्छ दिइरहेको कुरा दिल्लीबाट पत्राचार गरेर लालकोठी (जीटीए सदर कार्यालय)-लाई सूचित गरिएको छ।

केन्द्रको भाजपा सरकार, जसले यतिका दिनसम्म गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चा प्रमुख विमल गुरुङको पक्षमा वकालती गर्दै आइरहेको थियो, -ले अचानक पहाड़को विकासको निम्ति १३४ करोड़ ९९ लाख रुपियाँको आर्थिक गुच्छ विनय तामाङ केयरटेकर रहेको जीटीएलाई दिइन लागेकोले राजनैतिक पर्यवेक्षकहरूले थरीथरीका अड्कलबाजीहरू लगाउन थालेका छन्। विनय तामाङको नेतृत्वमा रहेको गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाले केही दिनअघि मात्र भाजपाको नेतृत्वमा रहेको नेशनल डेमोक्रेटिक फ्रण्ट (एनडीए) छोडेको घोषणा गरेको थियो।

तर त्यसको लगत्तैपछि विमल गुरुङले मोर्चा अहिले पनि एनडीएको सहयोगी दल रहेको घोषणा गरे । प्रेस विज्ञप्ति जारी गरेर अनि अडियो र भिडियो क्लिप मार्फत पहाडका बासिन्दाहरूलाई सन्देश र शुभकामना दिनु बाहेक विमल गुरुङ अहिले पहाड़मा सार्वजनिक रूपले बाहिर निस्किन सकेका छैनन्। राज्य सरकारले यूएपीए लगायत आईपीसीका विविध धारामा मामिलाहरू दर्ता गरेकोले विमल गुरुङ सार्वजनिक हुनसाथै पक्रा पर्ने प्रबल सम्भावना छ।

यसैले तिनी अहिले भूमिगत रूपमा नै छन्। भूमिगत रहेर तिनले गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठनको पक्षमा वकालती गरिरहेको भए पनि पहाड़का मानिसहरूसँग तिनको सोझै अन्तरक्रिया हुन सकेको छैन। न ता तिनले जनसभा मार्फत पहाड़का मानिसहरूलाई सम्बोधन नै गर्न सकेका छन्। यस्तो स्थितिमा पहाड़का मानिसहरूको विमल गुरुङप्रतिको आस्था र विश्वासमा ह्रास आउन सक्ने सम्भावना राजनैतिक पर्यवेक्षकहरूको एउटा समूह व्यक्त गर्छन्।

अर्कोतिर राज्यको तृणमूल कंग्रेस सरकारले जीटीएका केयरटेकर बनाएका विनय तामाङले जीटीएका विभिन्न ठाउँको भ्रमण गर्दै छन्। भ्रमण मात्र नगरेर तिनले जीटीएका केयरटेकर नै भएर पहाड़मा शिलान्यासलगायत विकासका केही कार्यहरू शुरू गरेका छन्। यसै विकास कार्यहरू मार्फत विनय तामाङ पहाड़मा आफ्नो जनाधार बढाउन प्रयासरत छन्। विकास बाँडेर विनय तामाङले विमल गुरुङपन्थी मोर्चा नेता, कार्यकर्ता र समर्थकहरूको मन जित्ने प्रयास गरिरहेका छन्।

पहाड़का बहुसंख्यक जनता अहिले पनि गोर्खाल्याण्ड राज्य गठनको पक्षमा रहेको राजनैतिक पर्यवेक्षकहरूको एउटा समूहको दावी छ। तर गोर्खाल्याण्डका पक्षधर हुँदा हुँदै पनि पहाड़का केही नेता र जनता डरले, रहरले र करले विनय तामाङ नेतृत्वाधीन मोर्चालाई समर्थन गर्न बाध्य भइरहेका छन्। पहाड़को वर्तमान यस परिस्थितिबारे अगवत रहेको केन्द्रको भाजपा सरकारले एकातिर विमल | गुरुङलाई मर्न दिन्न भनेर अनि अर्कोतिर जीटीएलाई आर्थिक गुच्छ दिएर पहाड़का जनता र विनय तामाङको मन जित्ने प्रयास गरेको हुनसक्ने राजनैतिक पर्यवेक्षकहरूको अर्को एउटा समूह बताउँछन्।

स्रोत : हाम्रो प्रजाशक्ति

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भाजपाले ममतासँग साटो फेर्न मात्र विमल गुरुङलाई प्रयोग ग-यो। – विनिता रोका

11:59 AM

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Politics

28th March 2018

दार्जीलिङ, २७ मार्च। मोर्चा नेत्री विनीता रोकाले विनय तामाङ र अनीत थापालाई समर्थन जनाएको छन्। गत वर्षको गोर्खाल्याण्ड आन्दोलनको बेला रोका गोर्खा जनमुक्ति नारी मोर्चा, दार्जीलिङ महकुमा समिति अध्यक्ष साथै प्रवक्ताको पदमा थिइन्। तिनी निकै दिनदेखि घरबाहिर थिइन् भने मंगलवार अचानक दार्जीलिङ प्रेस गिल्डमा पत्रकारहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्दै तिनले विनय र अनीत गूटलाई समर्थन जनाइन्।

गत आन्दोलनको बेला पहाड़लाई भयानक अवस्थाबाट निकाल्न र जनतालाई बचाउन विनय तामाङ र अनीत थापाले उठाएको कदम प्रशंसानीय रहेको रोकाले बताइन्। १०४ दिनको पहाड़ बन्द र आन्दोलनलाई पहाड़को जनताले साथ दिएको हो भन्दै तर भूल नेतृत्वको कारण पहाड़को अवस्था भयानक भएर गएको हो भन्दै तिनले भावुक हुँदै पहाड़को जनता अनि शहीद परिवारसँग क्षमा मागिन्।

१०४ दिनको पहाड़ बन्द र आन्दोलनको कार्ययोजनाहरू केही नभएको बताउँदै रोकाले नेताको मोहम्मद बिन तुघलकको जस्तो कामले गर्दा पहाड़को जनताले दुःख पाएको अनि १३ जना शहीद भएको जनाइन्। भारतीय जनता पार्टीले बंगालकी मुख्यमन्त्री ममता ब्यानर्जीसँग साटो फेर्न विमल गुरुङलाई प्रयोग गरेको अनि दार्जीलिङ पर्वतीय क्षेत्रको भयानक स्थितिप्रति केन्द्रको भाजपा सरकारले वास्ता नगरेको रोकाले आरोप लगाइन्।

बंगालकी मुख्यमन्त्री ममता ब्यानर्जीले गोर्खाल्याण्डको मागलाई गणतान्त्रिक माग रहेको बताउँदै यो केन्द्र सरकारको अधीनस्थ विषय रहेको बताइसकेकी छन् तर केन्द्रमा भाजपाको पूर्ण बहुमतको सरकार हुँदाहुँदै पनि भारतीय गोर्खाहरूबारे यसले एक शब्द पनि नबोलेको रोकाले आरोप लगाउँदै अब आउने चुनाउहरूमा गोर्खाहरूलाई भाजपालाई भोट नदिने अपील गरिन्। ममता ब्यानर्जीले जीटीए सभा दिएको तर चलाउने मान्छेले चलाउन नजानेको तिनले भनिन्।

भारतीय जनता पार्टीले भारतीय गोर्खाहरूलाई सपना देखाएर त्यसलाई विपनामा परिणत गर्ने कार्य कहिले नगरेको र केन्द्रको भाजपा सरकारले पहाड़को जनतालाई लथालिङ् बनाएको र पहाड़को जनतालाई मान्छे गन्ती नगरेको रोकाले आरोप लगाइन् ।

आन्दोलनकालमा पुलिस-प्रशासनले शान्ति व्यवस्था बनाउन कदम उठाएको तर गणतान्त्रिक आन्दोलनप्रति कार्वाही नगरेको तिनले दावी गरिन्। विनय तामाङ र अनीत थापाले पहाड़ो जनतालाई सुरक्षा प्रदान गरेको, यदि तिनीहरूले यसो नगरेको भए पहाड़को अवस्था अर्कै भएर जाने तथा लाखौं मानिसहरू घर-परिवार अनि गाउँ छेडे जानुपर्ने अवस्था आउने थिया, तिनले भनिन्। आफ्ना कतिपय साथीभाइहरू स्वाभिमानको कारण घर फर्की आउन नसकेको बताउँदै विनीता रोकाले तर तिनीहरूलाई आफ्नो परिवार सम्झेर घर फर्किने आह्वान गरिन्।

स्रोत :  हाम्रो प्रजाशक्ति

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REALITY CHECK ON GJM’S SUPPORT WITHDRAWL FROM NDA ALLIANCE

6:36 PM

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Politics

In another twist of events in already disturbed Darjeeling hill politics, Binoy Tamang, Chairman of West Bengal Government’s temporarily appointed GTA/Board of Administration, Darjeeling hills, announced GJMM’s withdrawal of support from BJP led NDA Alliance.

BJP had succeeded in winning West Bengal Darjeeling MP seat twice in 2009 and 2014 with the help of the then Gorkha JanMukti Morcha(GJMM) led by Bimal Gurung. However, the regional hill party has been on a roller coaster ride within the past one year. With Mamata Bannerjee led West Bengal Govt. forcing Bengali as a mandatory language in the hills, protest erupted and it turned into a Nationwide movement for Gorkhaland. With immense pressure and threat Gurung had to leave Darjeeling. Benefitting from his absence in the hills, Bengal Government succeeded in luring Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa and hence Binay, once Bimal Gurung’s right hand men, and his team backstabbed Gurung and joined hands with Trinamul Congress. They also had to face huge backlashes from public which still continues in the hills.

A statement released yesterday by GJMM(led by Bimal Gurung) has clarified that GJMM has been a constituent of the NDA since 2009, and will continue to remain the integral part of the NDA alliance. With all the twists and turns in the hill party, state seems hell bent on breaking Gorkha’s unity, however, public at large still support GJMM led by Bimal Gurung.

Binoy and his team are only seen as seasonal and temporary politicians intending to reap benefits out of the current situation in the hills by betraying the aspirations of the community in the name of development. It is reported that Binoy has managed to gain few local politicians and public support using state machinery and putting immense pressure on them.

“If GTA election is held now, Binoy or Anit will be thrown out” said an angry local Gorkhaland supporter. He is also alleged of distributing loads of cash to garner public support. “People will accept cash or food they distribute, but, we will never support Binoy and Anit because they have betrayed our community” said Sarad, a villager with grim face.“If Binoy or any of his men or TMC candidates contests MP Election, they will lose their deposit” said another person.

With GJMM divided into two fractions, public hurt and disheartened, it will be interesting to see how Long Binoy Tamang’s political career lasts.

Via Gorkha Voice

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Binay Tamang faction Gorkha Janmukti Morcha quits NDA Alliance

7:44 AM

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Politics

After accusing the BJP of betraying the trust of the Gorkhas, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) pulled out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on 24 March.

As reported by The Indian Express, GJM was upset with the statement of West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh that his party only had an electoral alliance with GJM.

GJM organising chief LM Lama said, “The claim made by the BJP, leader of NDA, that GJM is a friend and a constituent of the NDA and the slogan of PM Modi that the dream of the Gorkhas is my dream have all been exposed by the statement of the Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who stated that the BJP only had an electoral alliance with GJM and that there was no agreement for a common political resolution. This statement makes it amply clear that the BJP is neither sympathetic nor sincere towards the Gorkhas,” The Indian Express reported.



Lama went on to say that it is well-known that GJM gave away the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat to the BJP in the 2009 and the 2014 Lok Sabhaelections. In 2009, GJM supported BJP nominee Jaswant Singh despite being unhappy with his performance. In spite of that the party supported BJP nominee SS Ahuluwalia in 2014 from the same seat.

Talking about how GJM has helped BJP in West Bengal, Lama told The Indian Express, “Darjeeling has been the political gateway to Bengal for BJP and this has been possible only because of GJM. For so many years the people had hoped that our issues would be addressed and resolved. However, BJP has only betrayed the people time and again. It is because of BJP that the hills of Darjeeling are today enveloped in an environment of mistrust and political disturbance.”

Talking about how GJM has not delivered on its promises, Lama spoke about the over 100-day long bandh. “Thirteen precious lives were lost during the 104-day long bandh. Hundreds were put in jail. Yet, neither the BJP MP of Darjeeling, nor the government in Delhi spoke a word on the issue. The home minister assured tripartite talks within 15 days of GJM withdrawing the bandh. It’s been more than six months now and the home minister has done nothing to redeem his promise.”

He went on to tell The Indian Express, “While the previous leadership of GJM worked as an alliance partner of the NDA, the new leadership has no contact or alliance with the NDA. As such, GJM under the leadership of Binay Tamang has nothing to do with the NDA.”

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Bimal Gurung faction GJM Press release on quitting Alliance with BJP

11:42 PM

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Press Release

Bimal Gurung faction has released a press release denying Binay Tamang's  recent statement, claiming to be from GJM, that  Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has quit the NDA with BJP.

Here is the Press release:

A statement released by Binoy Tamang, the West Bengal government appointed GTA Chairman of the Board of Administrators, that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has quit the National Democratic Alliance is ludicrous, and does not reflect the official GJM stand.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been a constituent of the NDA since 2009, and we will continue to remain an integral part of the NDA.

I request all our party members to forewarn the people, and let the public and media be aware that any statement made by Binay Tamang, claiming to be from GJM, should not be given any credence. He is a West Bengal government employee, and does not represent the people of Darjeeling, nor the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

He may, if he so desires, release statements on behalf of the government he is serving - West Bengal, or the party he is serving - TMC, but he has no business whatsoever issuing statements on behalf of GJM, from which we have removed him on September 1, 2017 itself.

Bimal Gurung
President, Central Committee
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

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Has BJP fallen out of favour with Gorkhas in Darjeeling?

2:52 PM

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S. S. Ahluwalia

Writes: Arkamoy Dutta Majumdar [for LiveMint]

After enjoying its support for almost a decade, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have fallen out of favour with the Gorkha community in West Bengal’s Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency.

Following the visit of S.S. Ahluwalia, the BJP’s current member of Parliament (MP_ from Darjeeling, two key Gorkha parties said over the weekend that the party had failed the Gorkha community.

Ahluwalia, who is visiting his constituency for the first time since last year’s unrest over the demand for Gorkhaland, said on Saturday that he would protect fugitive Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung from “extra-judicial” persecution, pledging support for him and his movement. But the statement drew a sharp reaction from the GJM faction opposed to Gurung.

Binoy Tamang, the rebel GJM leader who is now in control of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, said it was “surprising” that Ahluwalia had committed to protect Gurung, a fugitive leader facing sedition charges, whereas he did nothing to fulfil the “long pending demands” of the community.

The BJP has “fooled” the Gorkhas twice to get elected to the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling—in 2009 and 2014—but has given nothing in return, Tamang said, ruling out any possibility of allying with the BJP in the next general election.

Echoing him, Niraj Zimba, spokesperson for Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), said that the BJP had not fulfilled its promises to the community, but didn’t immediately rule out the possibility of backing it going forward.

Tamang has worked for Ahluwalia ahead of the 2014 general election, Zimba said, adding that his stand has now changed because he is himself fighting for survival. Asked about future alliance, Zimba said the GNLF will back any national party that supports its demand for greater autonomy under the sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Since 1957, when the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency was created, the Gorkhas have almost always voted for a national party. For three consecutive terms till 2004, they even voted for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In 2004, they elected a Congress candidate before allying with the BJP in the past two general elections.

Also, until now, the community has almost always been led by one dominant local party. But that is changing: amid shifting sands, the GNLF is staging a comeback following the division within the GJM. The GJM had a complete stranglehold on Darjeeling’s politics for a decade until the violent agitation last year split the party between Gurung and Tamang.

Following the 104-day strike, a lot of Gorkhas who had started to lean towards the Trinamool Congress joined GNLF, said key district officials, who asked not to be named.

A large number of GJM supporters too have quietly shifted allegiance to the GNLF, giving up on both Tamang and Gurung, they added.

“It is not immediately clear how the community will vote in the next general election, but there is no doubt that the BJP has to deliver something substantive during the current term to earn the trust of this constituency,” one of the officials said.

[Via: Live Mint, originally posted at: http://bit.ly/2FZdaXS]

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WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT GORKHALAND: West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh

11:22 AM

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West Bengal

BJP West Bengal president Dilip Ghosh Saturday said the party had never talked about Gorkhaland nor was it in favour of formation of states on the basis of any linguistic group or community.
“We had never talked about Gorkhaland. Didi (Mamata Banerjee) had signed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration accord. We are not in favour of creation of states on the basis of any linguistic group or community. We had said this earlier too,” Ghosh told reporters in Alipurduar.
“If states are to be created on the basis of linguistic group or community, we have to support everybody like Kamtapuris, Rajbanshis. They also demanded separate states. We don’t support this.”
“If states were created on that basis, others cannot live there. Assam has more Gorkha population than Bengal. What will happen there?” he asked.
The state BJP chief, however, said the Centre will look into whether any new state will be created or not. Asked that local BJP leaders had attended the meeting called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which is spearheading the movement for Gorkhaland, he said “Only one leader had gone there due to political pressure in the hills”.
The GJM is an ally of the BJP.
On cases filed against GJM chief Bimal Gurung by the police, Ghosh said “Most of these cases are false. Such cases were also filed against me. I had challenged them to arrest me.” Ghosh held Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responsible for the current unrest in the hills.
“She had signed the GTA agreement. If she believed that GTA can usher in development then why was separate fund given to the district magistrate? Why were 11 development boards formed in the hills?” he asked and alleged that it was done to weaken Gurung and the GJM.
It would be easier for the Trinamool Congress to expand its organisation in the hills if Gurung is arrested, he added.

( news credit by wake up darjeeling )

Via: PTI

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The Centre needs to seriously consider the demand for Gorkhaland

8:45 AM

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Gorkhaland movement

The Daily Fix:

The Big Story: A Union of linguistic states

The hills of West Bengal have been in turmoil for the past week. The agitation started when Nepali-speaking Gorkhas began to protest against the decision of the Mamata Banerjee government to make Bengali compulsory in school. But given that the movement has continued even after Banerjee has clarified that the order will not apply to the hills, it points to deeper roots. On Tuesday, Gorkha parties – including the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Gorkha National Liberation Front – got together to adopt a unanimous resolution calling for a separate Nepali-speaking state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of West Bengal. The resolution was even supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The separation of the Nepali-speaking areas of West Bengal is one of the oldest statehood demands in India – the issue came into existence almost as soon as the British transferred power to Indian hands in 1947. In this, the Gorkhas do not stand alone. The linguistic principle has been the basis of Indian politics for some time now. In 1920, as Mohandas Gandhi reorganised the Congress radically in order to transform it from a genteel talk shop to a vehicle for mass movement, he made sure to constitute the Congress’ provincial committees along linguistic lines rather than have them reflect the Indian provinces at the time, which were arbitrary and often reflected the history of British conquest. The message was clear: India was to consist of an union of language communities.

This message was given concrete political shape in the second decade after Independence, as India’s states were reorganised on linguistic lines. The arbitrary state of Bombay and Madras were split up into Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu lands.

Yet, in this reorganisation, the Gorkhas of West Bengal got left out. This step-motherly treatment was due to expedient political calculation. Unlike Marathis or Tamils, Gorkhas were too small in number to shake up New Delhi. Of course, Kolkata herself was loathe to give up areas that bought in valuable tea and tourist revenue, even if it ignored the character of West Bengal as a Bengali-speaking state. This anomaly has led to long years of neglect. Bengali politicians do not win elections from the hills and Gorkhas by themselves are too small to influence Kolkata.

In the 1980s, support for Gorkhaland exploded into terrible violence which scarred the hills. This forced some devolution from Kolkata. In 1988, West Bengal formed the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. In 2011, this gave way to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration with expanded powers. Yet, this is not only weaker than other similar autonomous regions such as the Bodoland Territorial Council but, of course, has powers that fall far short of a state government.

India’s principal of making states using languages might seem, at first glance, a divisive tool. However, it is the glue that has kept the Union together, balancing the multiple identities of citizens as both Indian and as members of their local language community. The example of the break up of Pakistan, which tried to wipe out the Bengali identity of East Pakistan, is a warning about the price that could be paid if linguistic nationalism is sought to be suppressed.

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