Report by:
PRADIP LOHAGUN
KALIMPONG
26 Aug 2013
District Congress secretary Dilip
Pradhan, while addressing the media in Kalimpong today, said despite the
constant pressure on them from the party high command, they have
participated in the sessions of the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee
and are working proactively in the hope of achieving separate statehood.
“Why can’t we unite and demand statehood
when all parties at the centre can voice their same stereotype
statement of not allowing the division of Bengal?” asked Pradhan.
He said district Congress
representatives have already met party officials at the Centre and
apprised them of the problems prevailing in the Darjeeling hills. He
claimed Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appealed to all hill-based
parties and organisations to stand united in the statehood demand.
Commenting on the departure of some
parties from the newly formed GJAC, Pradhan appealed to them to learn
lessons from ongoing agitations in other regions of the country. He
said division among hill-based parties at a time when state-level
parties are protesting together against the statehood demand is a
shameful development.
Further, Pradhan said the district
Congress appeals the GJAC to target the Centre in their future meetings
while stressing on the necessity of a representative body at the
national capital. He also appealed to all incumbent and former MPs, MLAs
and intellectuals in the hills to take the agitation to the Centre.
The meeting was also addressed by GTA
sabhsad CP Poudyel. He slammed the policy of the state government and
its move to suppress the agitation.
“The state government is trying to
suppress the agitation on the basis of allegations that have no evidence
with the ulterior motive to portray it as violent,” remarked Poudyel.
The meeting was also attended by GJM
leaders Ramesh Allay, Norden Lama and Bijay Sundas, CPRM leader PB
Ghatani and many people from town and its surrounding areas.
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