Gorkhas threatened militant movements in Darjeeling

KOLKATA: After Tuesday's revolt by the Gorkhas at the chief minister Mamata Banerjee's function in Darjeeling, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership has threatened to go for a militant movement in the Hills to realise their demand for a separate state. "This time our movement might not be democratic one. We may be forced to go for a violent agitation in Darjeeling and both the Centre and the state government will have to bear responsibilities for any untoward incidents. We will hold a rally at Sukna on March 10 from where our leader Bimal Gurung will announce next course of action," GJM leader Benoy Tamang told ET on Wednesday. The GJM leadership has taken a strong exception to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee's act of meeting some Lepcha representatives at Algora in Darjeeling on Wednesday. Mamata has assured the Lepchas that her government will set up an autonomous council for the developments of this Hill people. "The chief minister is trying to draw a line of division among the Hill people and we will not allow her to do this," Tamang said. In fact, the GJM has started boycotting the chief minister's function in Darjeeling. On Wednesday, GJM president Bimal Gurung has inaugurated a bridge on the river Rangeela at Bijanbari in the Darjeeling Hills in absence of the chief minister. Earlier it was announced that the chief minister will inaugurate the new bridge. But Mamata Banerjee has skipped the inaugural function and in her place, GJM chief Gurung has inaugurated the new bridge. Wednesday's development at Bijanbari clearly indicates the fact that both the GJM and Mamata Banerjee's government are going to confront each other in the days ahead. Trinamool Congress sources said on Wednesday that the chief minister was very much displeased with the GJM leadership not because of displaying of placards by some of their supporters during her meeting at Darjeeling on Tuesday, but because of GJM chief Bimal Gurung's statements after her meeting was over. Gurung had opposed Mamata's observations that Darjeeling was an integral part of West Bengal and "by describing Darjeeling as a part of Bengal, the chief minister had in fact, hurt the sentiment of the Hill people." Gurung had also criticised the chief minister for many other reasons and Trinamool Congress sources on Wednesday made it clear that Mamata had not taken easily Gurung's comments and will never accept GJM's demand for a separate state. "Didi has practically refused to attend the inaugural function at Bijanbari on Wednesday which was attended by Bimal Gurung, after yesterday's developments in Darjeeling," said a senior minister and Trinamool Congress leader, on condition of anonymity. It is learnt that the chief minister will review the situations in Darjeeling Hills after her return to Kolkata and is likely to ask the state administration to handle law and order situation in the Hills firmly. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)