Going on a collision course against the Mamata Banerjee government, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung on Wednesday warned that their movement for a separate Gorkhaland may no longer remain democratic and peaceful.
Apprehending that the state government would try to suppress their movement by use of force, he said that the people of the hills were ready for any eventuality. “The situation is fast deteriorating. We know that they will use police which will fire on us. We know there will be bloodbath. So what, we are ready to die,” he said, adding that the Gorkhas would not compromise on their demand for a separate homeland. In Kolkata, governor M.K. Narayanan acknowledged that the hills dispute remained to be solved. This was a clear contradiction of Ms Banerjee’s assertion that she had solved Darjeeling problem and the hills were smiling. Mr Gurung was speaking to the news persons after inaugurating or rather re-inaugurating the Bijenbari bridge. This wooden bridge on river Little Rangit had collapse during a GJM rally on October 22, 2011 in which 32 people were killed. On Tuesday, during the North Bengal Festival at the mall in Darjeeling town, the chief minister had inaugurated the reconstructed bridge through remote control. Expressing his strong displeasure over the chief minister’s inauguration, Mr Gurung said it hurt the sentiments of the people of Bijenbari. “She should have come to the actual site for its inauguration,” he added. Ironically, immediately after the bridge collapse, the chief minister had rushed to the hills to stand by the side of Mr Gurung and his people in their hour of grief.
On Wednesday the same bridge became a bone of contention between the two sides.
The GJM chief blamed the chief minister for Tuesday’s showdown in the government function. He claimed that he had told North Bengal Development Council chief Gautam Deb, who had organised the festival, that he would attend the programme on the condition that the chief minister would not articulate her oft-repeated comment that Darjeeling was an integral part of Bengal. “He had promised that she would not speak in this vein but she did. I cannot trust them,” he added. Mr Gurung also voiced his anger over the fact that no prior permission was taken for Ms Banerjee’s programme at the mall. “Even I have to take permission for my programmes. But she acted in a dictatorial manner,” he added.
While Mr Gurung was making this explosive statement in Bijenbari, Ms Banerjee was in Kalimpong announcing her decision to form a separate development board for the welfare of the Lepchas. This further infuriated the GJM leadership. “This is a clear attempt at driving a wedge between the Lepchas and the Gorkhas. She is trying to divide and rule,” he alleged.
Mr Gurung was extremely peeved with the chief minister for what he described as interference in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)’s matter. GJM spokesperson Vinay Tamang said that they may even resign from the GTA.