Morcha coerce letter to Trinamul - Missive to former supporters seeking explanation for quitting party

Darjeeling, April 10: A Trinamul Congress leader in Darjeeling today produced a letter allegedly written by a local unit of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha asking those people who had quit the hill party and joined Trinamul to attend a Morcha meeting and give an explanation for their action. Trinamul said the letter showed that the Morcha was warning its supporters against joining any other party in the hills. The Morcha denied the charge and said the letter might have been framed by Trinamul to malign the hill party. Gopal Chhetri, the Trinamul Darjeeling convener, showed the letter written by the Morcha’s Phoobsering block unit. The letter is addressed to Sangram Thakuri who had joined Trinamul at a meeting in Kalimpong on April 7. “Keeping in mind the recent developments, we direct you (Thakuri) and other supporters who have accompanied you, to be present at Amar Ratna Sangh Bhawan at 2pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013.” The letter dated April 9 adds that “the GJM will take appropriate action against all” if they don’t attend the meeting. Chhetri claimed no one went to the meeting today. The “recent development” referred to in the letter is the public meeting held in Kalimpong on April 7. Six people from Phoobsering tea garden, 15km from Darjeeling, had joined Trinamul at the meeting, addressed by Trinamul all-India general secretary Mukul Roy. The letter has also named five other people who had accompanied Sangram. “The people who have accompanied are Sudhakar Gurung, Ujjawal B.K. (driver), Umen Gurung, Rajat Thakuri and Dilip B.K,” said the letter. Chhetri said: “The letter is proof of our claims that the Morcha is forcing people to stay with them. They have utter disregard for the people’s right to choose their own party. The letter exposes the fact that there is no democracy in the hills.” The Trinamul leader claimed that the letter was sent jointly by Pandav Gurung and Prem Pradhan, the president and secretary of the Morcha’s Phoobsering block committee. The letter contains two signatures under the heads, president and secretary, but does not contain the two names. Chhetri said he would file an FIR against Morcha leaders. When contacted, Sangram said: “In a democratic society, an individual has the right to choose any party of his liking. We have joined Trinamul to ensure that job opportunities are created in our area and also for development.” He added that he was never a member of the Morcha. “I have never been a member of the Morcha but was earlier associated with the GNLF. Even though we have joined Trinamul, we have not forced anyone to join our party in the area,” said Sangram. “We will not attend the meeting called by the Morcha today.” Trinamul also alleged that Morcha supporters had roughed up Sudhakar Gurung after the group had returned from Kalimpong on April 8. “Sudhakar Gurung was attacked by Morcha supporters but he was not hospitalised,” said Chhetri. Told about the letter, Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: “The allegation is all nonsense. Gopal Chhetri might have written the letter himself to malign our party.”