Darjeeling
27 Sep 2013
When asked if there was an underlying
message to the state government with the decision to attend the meeting,
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said it is now the government’s turn
to show sincerity.
“It is for the state government and the
media to interpret our decision to join the GTA again. We did what we
had to. But one thing is certain: we want the state government to show
its sincerity,” said the GJM leader briefing media persons at the GJM
office in Singamari.
Without elaborating, Giri said the
reason for re-joining the GTA is also due to some pending works even as
he stressed the movement for statehood would continue after October 20.
“We have only suspended our movement
till the Dussera festival gets over. We will sit again and decide on
programmes after October 20. However, all decisions pertaining to
running the GTA or when to leave it will be taken by our party
president,” according to the GJM general secretary.
GJM president Bimal Gurung resigned from
the GTA chief executive post on July 30 but did not ask the elected
members to follow suit. Instead, he said the setup would be scrapped at
an appropriate time. He had also asked GTA members not to attend the
September 4 meeting held to elect a chief executive unless all the
arrested GJM activists were released unconditionally.
Before convening today for the second
meeting to elect the chief executive at Gorkha Rangamanch Bhawan - the
GTA Sabha secretariat – 34 sabhasads met the GJM president at the party
office. They arrived at the meeting venue in a group with a note from
the GJM chief endorsing Binay Tamang as the new chief and this was
revealed during the meeting.
The session lasted for just a little
more than half an hour and was conducted by GTA Sabha chairman Bhupendra
Pradhan in the presence of his deputy Lobsang Yolmo and GTA principal
secretary RD Meena.
“The House today took two resolutions.
One, to elect Tamang as the new GTA chief executive, and secondly to
demand the release of all arrested GJM leaders and activists. We have
submitted the resolution to the principal secretary who will forward it
to the state government,” informed the GTA chairman.
The choice of Tamang, the GTA member from Bloomfield constituency, was unanimously endorsed by all 34 members at the meeting.
Tamang was arrested on August 22 mainly
for being involved in the torching of a forest guest house in Takdah and
also has other cases slapped on him.
Principal secretary Meena said the
one-point agenda of electing a new chief executive was discussed and
successfully voted on. “All members voted in favour of Tamang for the
chief executive’s post. We will request the Governor for a suitable date
to conduct the oath taking ceremony,” he said.
In the wake of such a development, the
Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee has decided to adopt a wait and watch
stand. “The GJM has taken a resolution to scrap the GTA at an opportune
time and we are of the belief the promise will be kept. We also feel
this could be the Morcha’s ploy of some sort. We will observe the
development and take a decision on Monday,” said GJAC spokesperson Enos
Das Pradhan.
A meeting of the joint forum, of which the GJM is a constituent, is scheduled for September 30 to take stock of the situation.
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