Priya blames govt for ‘immature handling’ of Darjeeling situation

KOLKATA, May 4: The Union information and broadcasting minister, Mr Priya Ranjan Das Munshi today squarely blamed the state government for its ‘immature and improper’ handling of the situation in Darjeeling. He also questioned the wisdom of the state urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya’s advice to tourists not to visit the hills in view of the escalating tension there. “The situation in Darjeeling is very sensitive. The state government’s handling of the situation was very improper and immature,” Mr Das Munshi told reporters. “No tourists complained about harassment by the agitating Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha activists. The people of Darjeeling are very hospitable to tourists and tourism is their bread and butter. “The untimely advice by the state minister suggesting tourists not to visit Darjeeling will not only tarnish the state’s image, but also have an impact on the overall tourism prospect of the country,” he said.The minister said that the state government has made a mistake by not intervening when agitators prevented Mr Subhas Ghising, who was the caretaker administrator of DGHC, from entering the hills. He also said the state government had failed to read the situation of the hills when a tripartite memorandum of agreement was signed by the Union home ministry, the state government and the then chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) Mr Ghising on the proposed constitutional amendment to bring DGHC under the Sixth Schedule. However, Mr Das Munshi said the Centre would extend support to the chief minister so that impasse could be resolved amicably. “Delhi cannot move an inch without taking the state government into confidence to resolve this sensitive issue,” he said.The state government, Mr Das Munshi charged, had failed to read the situation of the hills when a tripartite memorandum of agreement was signed by the Union home ministry, the state government and the then chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) Mr Subhas Ghising on the proposed constitutional amendment to bring DGHC under the Sixth Schedule. “I had taken all possible measures and was ready to pass the Bill with two-thirds majority in the Parliament,” Mr Das Munshi said. “But the day before the Bill was to be placed in the House I received a message that it may be referred to the Standing Committee so that other views could be heard,”the Union minister said. (The Statesman)

Gorkhaland: Bimal Gurung turns into Frankenstein

Sujit Roy, 05 May 2008, Monday
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader, Bimal Gurung has now turned into a Frankenstein. The person who was brought into lime light to oust DGHC chairman Subhas Ghising from power has now become the most dangerous person for the state government.
THE FRESH separatist movement in Darjeeling under the leadership of Bimal Gurung, seems to be the replay of Mary Shelly’s science fiction Frankenstein. In the world famous fiction, the creator of the monster regretted later for his unbelievable creation. In the recent development, the creator of the new danger is West Bengal government, which has earned fame in doing mistakes and later regretting it.
In the late 80’s, the call for a separate state, Gorkhaland was given by Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) leader Subhas Ghising, a Nepali poet and writer who used to sell his poems to the tourists in the mall. The movement earned energy and turned into a militant one as the state government did not pay proper attention and cared less at its initiation.
Ghising became a hero overnight. After years of bloody movement the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) was formed and Ghising refrained himself from the demand of a separate state. However, he became the chairman of the autonomous council and behaved like the ‘chief minister of Darjeeling.’
State government wanted to oust him so that the hills can come under direct control of the state government and politically under the red flag. They created Gorkha Liberation Organisation, under the leadership of Chhatre Subba in oppose to the GNLF. The Kalimpong based Subba had also claimed a separate state and was finally put into jail on the charge of attempting on the life of Subhas Ghising.
Now it is the turn of Bimal Gurung, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader, who claims a separate statehood for the greater Darjeeling district and that too by democratic movement. Bimal Gurung, like Chhatre Subba was a close aide of Ghising and came into limelight during Gorkhaland movement as a member of the action squad. The Mastan Bahini, as the action squad was called, had been led by Bimal Gurung in some pockets of the hill station. Not much educated but a very daring and dashing young man, Gurung terrorized the areas like Bijonbari where Communist Party of India {CPI(M)} had its control.
After the formation of DGHC, the situation took a new turn and people forgot Bimal Gurung. He came up again when Prashant Tamang, the first singer from Darjeeling came out to be the prospective winner in the Indian Idol contest. Gurung with his team paid total attention to collect votes in favour of Tamang. His target was to come back to the people of the hills and develop his public relations campaign against Ghising.
The state government and the CPI(M) took the chance and came into contact with him to launch a campaign against Ghising. Bimal raised slogan for ousting Ghising from the chair of DGHC immediately after Prashant Tamang won the Indian Idol title. Bimal never raised the slogan of a separate state before but initiated an all out effort for a separate Gorkhaland as soon as Ghising resigned.
A statement of State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya, who hails from Darjeeling district, that Ghising was a far better choice than Bimal Gurung, clearly indicates that their choice is wrong and they did not perceive that Bimal Gurung would turn into Frankenstein. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said recently that he is perplexed and confused to understand what does Bimal Gurung want. This also clears the assumption that the state government was unaware of his secret plan. This reminds us of the ample examples of mistakes made by the state government and later regretting the same .
The situation in the hills is becoming tense day by day and absence of normalcy obstructs the tourists to enter Darjeeling at the peak season. Even Jyoti Basu has cautioned the tourists, not to visit Darjeeling now. During Ghising’s movement only the hills were disturbed. Now the plains in the district like Duars and Siliguri are also disturbed. The economy of the district is getting worst every day. The CPI(M) is loosing its power in the areas where it regained. The whole lot of the population has no other choice but to say yes to the man of the movement, which is democratic outwardly but under the shade of violence. They are very clear of their demand – separate Gorkhaland and nothing else.
Now the state has to decide how it tackles the situation because they have created the Frankenstein and none else. (Merinews)