Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJMM) supporters join Congress

JALPAIGURI: Unhappy with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), at least 30 hardliners of the party from the Dooars in Jalpaiguri joined the Congress on Monday. Most of them from Chamurchi on the Indo-Bhutan border, The Nepali speaking youths blamed the "step-motherly attitude of GJM leaders towards the Dooars" for their reason to switch allegiance. Though it has been more than a year since the formation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the Dooars and Terai region is not a part of it. A large section of Nepalis living in the plains is hence unhappy with the GJM which is being branded a "hills party". Recently, another group of GJM members from the Dooars led by Padam Lama had joined Trinamool Congress for the same reason. "GJM leaders of Darjeeling had promised to include Dooars and Terai into any arrangement they come with the governments. But when the GTA was formed, the plains were deliberately excluded. More than a year has passed since then and the GJM leadership has not said a single word on the inclusion of Dooars. They have misguided us and hence we have decided to keep no ties with them," said Shyam Thapa, who was the vice president of Yuva Morcha's Middle Dooars chapter. From the beginning of GJM's movement in 2008, Nepalis living in the Dooars and Terai had played an active role in it and accepted the formation of GTA, while the tribals have generally opposed the inclusion of the Dooars and Terai in GTA. A clash between the two groups had claimed the life of Akbar Lama of Ethelbari. But the dealy in inclusion of the plains has given rise to a discontentInitially, however, the Nepalis living in the plains had accepted formation of the GTA. The delay in incluision of the Dooars and Terai in GTA has added to the unrest of large section of Nepalis in DooarsTheir confusion has increased after the experts' committee ruled out adding 399 mouzas from the Dooars and Terai to the GTA. Although the matter has gone for a revision, a large section of the Nepali population has started believing that if the GTA starts getting funds properly, their matter would be forgotten. "Now that the GJM leaders are trying to re-launch their statehood movement, they did not speak of Dooars and Terai. In fact they are silent on the issue. Doesn't this indicate that the leaders of the hills are only interested in the three hills subdivisions? Then what's the point in trusting them again" asked Sanu Tamang, another GJM leader who joined Congress. "The GJM leaders should not have gone into any agreement with the state and the Centre excluding the Dooars and Terai. We too have fought for the cause and have faced more trouble since we live in a mixed area. It has been one long year and there has been no discussion on Dooars and Terai since the formation of GTA," said Jiban Tamang. "In the eighties when Ghisingh had launched his movement for Gorkhaland, then too people of Dooars had supported him. But when DGHC was signed, Dooars and Terai were forgotten. We see no difference this time," he added. Jalpaiguri district Congress president Mohon Bose welcomed the Nepali youths and handed party flags to them. GJM chief Bimal Gurung tried to pacify disgruntled workers by saying that he hadn't given up on the Terai and Dooars region, at party meet on Monday.