Darjeeling
30 Aug 2013
With virtually no progress to show from
its month-long agitation despite resorting to various tactics to break
the state government, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to wait
till September 1 to announce future programmes.
The much-anticipated Gorkhaland Joint
Action Committee meeting convened today failed to yield any solution
even after three long hours of deliberation. However, the joint forum,
of which GJM is the key constituent, did announce a number of
things-to-do in the coming days.
For starters, the GJAC has given a day’s
breather on Saturday to the strike to enable people to restock
essentials and foodstuff. And on Sunday, a delegation comprising former
and present MLAs and MPs from the Gorkha community will head to New
Delhi.
“Looking at the plight and difficulties
the people are facing, we decided on a relaxation on August 31. The next
day, a delegation comprising former and present MLAs and MPs will leave
for Delhi to meet the union home minister and other central leaders
with our demand,” informed GJAC chairman Enos Das Pradhan after the
meeting.
Incidentally on August 28, the GJM had
convened an emergency meeting of its frontal organisations seeking their
written views on the question of lifting the strike and future course
of action. But a final decision on the bandh was to be taken by the GJAC
today with the consent of all members.
The GJAC also announced a two-day ‘ghar
bhitra janta’ (people inside their homes) programme on September 2 and
3, coinciding with chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the Hills.
She is scheduled to attend a programme in Kalimpong organised by the
Lepcha community.
“Our previous ‘ghar bhitra janta’
programme proved successful due to people’s support. As such, we have
decided to hold a similar agitation for another two days and hope the
people will give the same response,” said Pradhan.
The GJM was forced to modify its bandh
call after the Calcutta High Court adjudged all forms of strike as
illegal. When asked the reasons for calling the two-day agitation, GJM
spokesperson and Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri said, “Don’t ask us
reasons because this the decision we took. From September 4, the
agitation will continue in its present form comprising ‘sadak ma janta’
(people outside the house) programmes.”
The decision on when to reopen schools and colleges has also been deferred till September 1.
“We did discuss it during the meeting
today. But a final decision will only be taken after we sit for a
meeting with students and teachers organisations and forge a consensus,”
said Chhetri.
Following the meeting with the students and teachers, another meeting of the GJAC is scheduled later on the same day.
Replying to questions on the possibility
of the GJM participating in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
meeting on September 4 and the ongoing Lepcha demonstration in
Kalimpong, GJAC coordinator and GJM assistant secretary Raju Pradhan
said, “As it stands, there are very little chances of us participating
in the GTA meeting. On the Lepcha issue, we have nothing to comment.”
Representatives of the Gorkhaland Rajya
Nirman Morcha failed to turn up for the meeting today, while those of
the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist, Bharatiya Gorkha
Parisangh, Gorkhaland Task Force and the Hills units of the BJP and
Congress were present.
The All India Gorkha League and the
Gorkha Rashtriya Congress have already parted ways with the GJAC citing
ideological differences.
Meanwhile, the GJM distributed aata, dal
and vegetables in the town area in the afternoon and the distributions
will continue on Saturday.
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