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| Bimal Gurung |
Darjeeling, June 20: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to convene a joint meeting of the central committee, study forum and its leaders in the Dooars and Terai on June 24 to build a consensus on the party’s future course, including the GTA elections.
The decision has come at a time a section of the Morcha leadership wants the party to contest the GTA elections, the notification for which is likely to be issued by the state government soon.
The invitation to the plains leaders to the meeting suggests that the region is still on the Morcha’s priority list.
Today, senior Morcha leaders, including general secretary Roshan Giri, briefed Bimal Gurung on the meeting between the party’s delegation and chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Calcutta on Saturday.
After meeting Gurung in the party office at Singamari, Giri said: “We briefed our party president on the meeting with the chief minister. We have decided to hold a meeting of the members of the central committee, members of the study forum and our leaders from the Terai and Dooars at the Darjeeling Gymkhana Club on June 24.”
The Morcha leader said the party’s future course of action would be discussed at the meeting. “All announcements would be made after the meeting,” Giri said.
Asked about the Morcha’s stand on the GTA elections, he said: “We have not discussed the matter in the party.”
However, a number of senior Morcha leaders have privately expressed the desire to contest the GTA elections in the larger interest of the party.
“As the fact-finding committee (looking into the Justice Shyamal Sen’s report on the GTA’s territorial reach) will definitely take time to come up with its conclusion, it would do good to the party if we contest the polls. We can immediately start development work after four years of agitation and the party’s support base will also be strengthened,” said a Morcha leader.
Many believe that the Morcha will have no other option but to contest the GTA elections as other parties, especially the Trinamul Congress, are slowly tightening the noose around the hill party.
Observers believe the party has probably called the Terai and Dooars leaders to the meeting to assure them that party will not desert them at any cost.
“The Morcha will probably convey the message that the party will continue to push for the inclusion of the Terai and Dooars in the GTA and pursue its supporters’ issues in the plains. The party doesn’t want to create an impression that it has dumped the supporters in the plains,” said an observer.
Giri also said the Morcha was not worried about GNLF president Subash Ghisingh’s objection to the formation of the GTA without amending the Constitution.
“The issue is related to panchayats. The DGHC had a two-tier panchayat system while the GTA will have a three-tier system. This means that when the time comes for panchayat elections, the Constitution will definitely have to be amended. In fact, the issue had been discussed during the GTA review held in Delhi earlier.”
ABGL fast deferred
The ABGL has decided to postpone its relay hunger strike scheduled to start in Darjeeling tomorrow.
Laxman Pradhan, the vice-president of the party said: “We have decided to start the relay hunger strike after a few days as they (Morcha) are currently holding a relay fast at Chowrastha.”(TT)
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