PRADIP LOHAGUN
KALIMPONG
1 Sep 2013
Members of the Lepcha community, who
were agitating for restoration of peace under the ‘Hill People’ banner,
today withdrew their protest following an appeal from Bharatiya Gorhka
Parisangh president Enos Das Pradhan.
Nima Lepcha, who was leading the peace
demonstration in Kalimpong, said the decision to withdraw was taken
after discussing Pradhan’s request made through the media. Lepcha
Rights’ Movement coordinator Bhupendra Lepcha also said the decision to
withdraw came after Pradhan, who is also the GJAC president, made an
appeal.
Referring to those leading the statehood
agitation, Bhupendra said, “They understand much more than we do. They
must have made the appeal after much thought. We have decided to
withdraw respecting Dr. Pradhan’s request.”
When asked about the reason for staging
the peace demonstration, he said it was mainly to express
dissatisfaction with the repressive approach of the state government.
Bhupendra said many innocent people had to face undue harassment and
felt terrorised by the spate of rampant arrests throughout the hills.
At the same time, the coordinator denied
allegations about the state government trying to create a communal
divide in the hills by bringing the Lepchas into play. Reiterating the
Lepchas urge all stakeholders not to politicise the issue of the
formation of the Lepcha Development Board, he said, “Uniting-dividing is
an internal matter. It is incorrect to say that someone has incited us.
We understand what the state government is doing.”
Rubbishing talks that the peace
demonstration was to target the chief minister’s upcoming visit to
Kalimpong, Bhupendra said, “It is due to the difference in perception
that these doubts have surfaced. Perception should be changed first. We
want brotherhood among us and we should all carefully analyse what
forces are trying to bring a division among us.”
Responding to a question on BGP’s appeal
to join the statehood movement, the coordinator stressed the Lepchas
have never remained aloof from the agitation. “Many Lepchas can be seen
in rallies and demonstrations. We were participating in the past and are
also doing so in the present,” he remarked.
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