Barla-Trinamul merger in air - Ruling party ‘best’ option

BIRESWAR BANERJEE AND AVIJIT SINHA

John Barla

Siliguri, June 25: The John Barla-led breakaway faction of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad today hinted that some of its leaders wanted a merger with the Trinamul Congress, given the lack of clarity on inclusion of more mouzas in the GTA.

“We often face unpleasant questions from supporters who ask what we have achieved by joining hands with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. It is getting tough for us to answer them as we are utterly confused, particularly after the state’s decision to hold the GTA polls on July 29 and Morcha’s dilly-dallying over it,” a senior leader and a close aide of Barla said today.

The dissident leaders also feel that joining Trinamul would help address their supporters’ immediate demands in the Dooars and Terai.

“Many of us have started holding informal talks with Trinamul because we believe the party, which is at the helm of affairs in Bengal, can meet our long-standing demands related to socio-economic development,” the Barla faction leader said.

The leader said it was unclear whether more mouzas would be given to the GTA. “So, we are now more concerned about our basic demands like land rights, schools, colleges, roads, employment opportunities and health services, because these are problems raised by our supporters repeatedly. By joining Trinamul, we can bring in more tribal people to support us and in the party’s favour, as people in the Dooars are not interested to join the CPM or the Congress, which have failed to meet their aspirations over decades,” the leader said.

Barla, while speaking to The Telegraph last week, said his faction would not severe ties with Morcha and continue the movement for statehood and the inclusion of more mouzas in the GTA.

But yesterday, no one from Barla’s faction attended the Morcha meeting in Darjeeling, citing illness and preoccupation with other programmes.

“It is not that we will severe ties with the Morcha overnight but our relation with Trinamul has to be strengthened. The party needs tribal leaders to spread its base in the Dooars while we need a political party that can meet most of our demands. Trinamul is the ideal platform,” one of the leaders said.

The dissidents, sources said, are divided among themselves on the issue. While some opine that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha banner is enough for them to continue garnering support, others feel Trinamul is a better alternative.

Sukra Munda, one of the frontline leaders of dissidents, said: “We had excellent relations with Trinamul before the Assembly polls last year. Since then, there had been no confrontation between us and relations have not snapped,” he said. “Under the changed political circumstances, a renewal of ties and mutual relations cannot be ruled out.”

Trinamul leaders, asked about the prospect of Barla joining the party, said talks were on. “The prime agenda of Mamata Banerjee is to strive for consistent development of backward people and areas where they live. She is serious about simultaneous development of the hills, Terai and Dooars,” north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said.

His colleagues in Jalpaiguri, who are entirely concentrating in Dooars, acknowledged that talks are on with tribals and even Morcha leaders and its supporters. “People in the Dooars have well understood that Trinamul can help them in achieving the basic demands and facilities,” said Chandan Bhowmik, Jalpaiguri district Trinamul president.(TT)