KURSEONG
8 Sep 2013
The
Gorkha National Liberation Front, once the most powerful and
influential party in the Darjeeling hills, has remained silent even as
the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-led agitation continues amid rallies,
meetings and demonstrations, not to mention the hundreds of arrests.
The GNLF made its last public statement
in end-July following GJM chief Bimal Gurung’s announcement of a slew of
demonstrations, rallies and bandhs to mark the renewed statehood
agitation. Since then, the GNLF has maintained a stony silence,
refraining from commenting even when the bandh has stretched by more
than a month.
Further, when the GJM changed its
strategy and called an all-parties meet (including the GNLF) on the
Gorkhaland issue on August 12, it continued to maintain its silence
although it did not hide its suspicions about the motive of the Morcha.
The GNLF maintained such agitations have been staged earlier, yet the
GJM signed the Gorkhaland Territorial Agreement eventually.
Senior GNLF leader Nima Lama said, “We have nothing to say from our side as we believe silence is the best politics.”
Party supremo Subash Ghising had
resorted to this ‘politics of silence’ when Bimal Gurung’s party emerged
to lead the second phase of the Gorkhaland agitation. Again, the same
‘politics of silence’ was enacted by the party when Ghisingh and GNLF
leaders were hounded out from the hills.
The signing of the GTA on July 18, 2011
saw a spate of activity in the GNLF camp that included public meetings,
rallies and reorganisations of party units. However, the party seems to
have gone silent once again of late and one cannot help but wonder
whether it has reassumed the role of a silent sentinel who just watches
and takes notes of the goings on. (EOIC)
