Darjeeling-Dooars forum born

Darjeeling

10 Oct 2013

Born out of the need to enhance among people levels of awareness in politics, development and environmental, educational and other critical issues pertaining to the Darjeeling hills, members of civil society as well as political and professional figures have come together to form the Darjeeling Dooars United Development Foundation.

The DDUDF will act as a robust, forward-looking and independent forum and also work as a think-tank for all people to participate and contribute to social, cultural, political, economic, environmental and other issues of public concern and interest.

Speaking about the forum’s ideology and objective, DDUDF founding member Mahendra P Lama said, “The forum will propagate and advocate the most modern yet appropriate strategies, additional yet time-tested frameworks, and cost-effective and all-inclusive approaches to political, social, economic and environmental, public welfare and national interest issues.”

The DDUDF is the brainchild of Lama - prominent educationist and social worker - and it was launched today to contribute to finding sustainable and concrete solutions to social as well as political problems of the Darjeeling hills.

“We have myriad problems in the hills. They all need long-term solutions, which can be achieved by clear foresight and a comprehensive roadmap,” said Lama, who is also a consensual MP candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Darjeeling.

The newly established forum has set for itself 25 objectives, although a committee is yet to be formed to run its daily affairs.

“We hitherto lacked a platform to raise issues that are so relevant to people here. Now with the DDUDF, we can work under an umbrella to address those problems,” the educationist noted.

Lama also said he would appeal to all political parties to work together for the benefit of the people. “We will definitely reach out to all political parties here and urge them to work as a unit. We will try to convince them about the benefits of such a move,” he said.

The academician, who is hopeful of bringing about a change in the hills after becoming an MP, has so far given out no signs of joining any political outfit.

“Our ultimate goal is a separate Gorkhaland state. But we will need to work towards achieving it in a planned manner and knock on the right doors,” said Lama.

The 25 objectives of the DDUDF include efforts to address the contentious issue of identity of the Indian Gorkhas and to secure for the entire people of Darjeeling District and the Dooars “purna swaraj” or complete self-governance in the form of a separate state within the constitutional framework of the country.