A day after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung spoke of demanding “something else” in place of Gorkhaland, speculation has run high on his next move regarding the ongoing movement for a separate Gorkhaland State.
While senior GJM leaders like Harka Bahadur Chhetri refused to find any separatist undertone in his Tuesday’s statements, inside sources said Gurung had a few alternative plans for the Centre to consider.
A senior leader said the GJM could either propose a merger of Darjeeling with Sikkim ceding in lieu of such merger “some other spot to Bengal.” A second and more talked about alternative within the party circles was a demand for “Union Territory-like” status for the Hill district.
“A compromise could be arrived at by seeking a UT-like status for Darjeeling with a lose bonding with Bengal,” another leader said, adding Gurung was thinking in lines of the second alternative particularly on account of Sikkim’s reluctance in being dragged into the controversy.
“In such case the main difference between the present status of an autonomous GTA and the new scheme would be in terms of the final control. Instead of the Governor, the new UT-like region would function under the President may be with some kind of loose association with Bengal,” the leader said amid reports that senior party leader Roshan Giri had gone to Delhi on a “private trip” to meet senior UPA-II leaders “to discuss other alternatives.”
He said the new UT-like body would directly derive its powers from the Constitution instead of any State legislation. “In that case we will not have to depend upon the State Government to transfer the departments to us.”
Meanwhile, the GJM chief on Wednesday said that he would never climb down from his demand for separate State or “something else” for that matter.
He said, “Our movement would continue endlessly as we want to see how much strength this autocratic Government has to suppress a people’s movement.”
Informing that the demonstrations called ‘ghar bahira janta’ (people on the streets) would continue till August 30, he said, “We will reveal on our future course of action soon.”
Once again criticising Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for trying to play a divisive politics in Darjeeling he said, “The Chief Minister is trying to put the lepchas against the Gorkhas but that dirty politics will not be successful as the people of the Hills are united and continue to remain so till their demand is met.”
While lepchas form 20 percent of the Hill population Gorkhas make for about 78 per cent.
Meanwhile, Bengal Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra said the Government was trying to gag the people of Darjeeling by arresting agitators. “Instead of throwing them behind bars the Government should concentrate on talking with them,” he said proposing once again an all-party meeting to iron out differences.
“This Government does not believe in consensus. When we were in power we used to call the Opposition parties to dialogue table because none is infallible. One hopes good sense prevails and they call an all-party meeting on Darjeeling so that the present crisis can be tackled in a peaceful manner.”