GNLF enacting its ‘politics of silence’?

KURSEONG

8 Sep 2013

The Gorkha National Liberation Front, once the most powerful and influential party in the Darjeeling hills, has remained silent even as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-led agitation continues amid rallies, meetings and demonstrations, not to mention the hundreds of arrests.

The GNLF made its last public statement in end-July following GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s announcement of a slew of demonstrations, rallies and bandhs to mark the renewed statehood agitation. Since then, the GNLF has maintained a stony silence, refraining from commenting even when the bandh has stretched by more than a month.

Further, when the GJM changed its strategy and called an all-parties meet (including the GNLF) on the Gorkhaland issue on August 12, it continued to maintain its silence although it did not hide its suspicions about the motive of the Morcha. The GNLF maintained such agitations have been staged earlier, yet the GJM signed the Gorkhaland Territorial Agreement eventually.

Senior GNLF leader Nima Lama said, “We have nothing to say from our side as we believe silence is the best politics.”

Party supremo Subash Ghising had resorted to this ‘politics of silence’ when Bimal Gurung’s party emerged to lead the second phase of the Gorkhaland agitation. Again, the same ‘politics of silence’ was enacted by the party when Ghisingh and GNLF leaders were hounded out from the hills.

The signing of the GTA on July 18, 2011 saw a spate of activity in the GNLF camp that included public meetings, rallies and reorganisations of party units. However, the party seems to have gone silent once again of late and one cannot help but wonder whether it has reassumed the role of a silent sentinel who just watches and takes notes of the goings on. (EOIC)