Gurung blamed for hill violence - Morcha chief responsible for split: Anit

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kalimpong, Oct. 1: Rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Anit Thapa today alleged that the split in the party had been triggered by Bimal Gurung's indulgence in violence in the latest round of the statehood agitation.

Thapa, who is also the vice-chairman of the board of administrators appointed by the Bengal government to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, said the Morcha president had no choice but to surrender before the law.

Gurung denied the charge and suggested that Thapa and Binay Tamang had incited people to resort to violence.

In a press release today, Thapa said: "Differences cropped up between Morcha president Bimal Gurung, and Binay Tamang and me after Gurung had abandoned the party's core principal of Gandhian mode of agitation for Gorkhaland and took the violent and undemocratic path."

Thapa's accusation will add to Gurung's problems at a time the state government is busy preparing a water-tight case against the Morcha president. Gurung has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the violence during the agitation that stretched over 100 days.

Thapa said the Morcha president's statements like "the land wants blood" had prompted common people to take law into their own hands.

"Gurung has to surrender before the law for him to come back to the political mainstream now. He has no other option," said the statement.

Contacted for his reaction, Gurung demanded evidence to prove that he was involved in the violence. He accused the Thapa-Tamang duo of inciting violence in their speeches.

"I never spoke about violence. I have always worked for the sake of the community. Listen to the speeches made by Binay Tamang in the past and decide for yourself who spoke about violence. They (Binay and Anit) have betrayed the people," Gurung said.

Asked whether he would renew the agitation for Gorkhaland if the Union government did not initiate talks in the next couple of weeks, Gurung said he had faith in the Centre.

"We will have to wait for 15 days. This is not a trivial matter. The Centre had given us word...Whether there is a bipartite meeting or a tripartite one, we are waiting (for the announcement of date for talks)," he said.

Gurung had called off the 104-day-old strike after Union home minister Rajnath Singh had said on September 26 that a meeting would be convened within a fortnight to discuss all issues related to the hills.

Thapa who had been "expelled' from the Morcha, along with Tamang, pointed fingers at Gurung at a time normality was returning to the hills after the strike.

The return of normality after Gurung's call, a veteran in hill politics said, has once again proved that the Morcha president still holds sway over the hills. "This is not good news for Tamang and Thapa... Now, by accusing Gurung of instigating the violence, they want to end his political career. And as people have started counting their losses because of the strike, they want to portray Gurung as the victim," he explained.

Thapa today said Gurung had failed to realise the Gorkhaland dream on three occasions between 2007 and 2017. Thapa was referring to the movements during the 2007-2011 period, in 2013 and this year.