Meet last hope to lift hunger strike

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, June 2: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is seeing the tripartite meeting, to be held here tomorrow, as the last hope to find a way out to lift its ongoing hunger strike, sources in the party said.

Morcha insiders said if the state government could give a written assurance on two of its demands — the withdrawal of cases against the cadres during the Gorkhaland agitation and a field visit by the fact-verification committee —the party may lift the indefinite fast. The state government has said nothing on any written assurance.

The Morcha is under pressure to break this strike, which began on May 26, as a continuation of the stalemate after the talks would be seen as a loss of face for the Morcha. Also, such a situation in the middle of the tourist season would not be good for business in the area.

Bimal Gurung, the Morcha chief, himself had said last month during chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit that it would be difficult for the GTA to function smoothly without the state government’s co-operation. Also, the GTA Sabha members on hunger strike today said they would not take any medical help, including the visit of doctors that was being allowed.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri and Darjeeling MLA Trilok Dewan will attend the review meeting on behalf of the party, while the Bengal government will be represented by home secretary Basudeb Banerjee. The Centre would be represented by S. Skandan, additional home secretary (state-Centre relations) at the meeting to be held at Richmond Hill at 4pm tomorrow.

Fourteen GTA Sabha members and two councillors of the Mirik municipality have been on an indefinite hunger strike since May 26, demanding non-interference of the state government in the working of the GTA, withdrawal of cases against Morcha activists slapped by the state government during the Morcha’s Gorkhaland agitation and an end to alleged police atrocities.

The Morcha is also demanding that the fact-verification committee looking into the recommendations of Justice (retd) Shyamal Sen committee make a field visit to the Dooars before preparing its report.

Roshan Giri said the same demands would be raised at tomorrow’s review session.

“We will discuss the demands for the withdrawal of police cases against our activists, jobs for GTA youths in the army, paramilitary and police, granting of tribal status to all Gorkha communities, except the Schedule Caste community, a field visit by the fact-verification committee and additional funds to the GTA to put in place the administrative infrastructure,” said Giri.

“At the last review meeting in Delhi on December 26, 2012, Basudeb Banerjee had assured that 150 cases against Morcha activists would be withdrawn within 10 days. Till date, the government has not kept its word,” he said.

A senior Morcha leader said on condition of anonymity: “The leadership is of the opinion that it cannot just lift the hunger strike without any assurance from the state government. Many in the party had initially wanted the leaders to start a relay hunger strike but another section wanted an indefinite fast.”

The Morcha leader said the party was under pressure to end the fast. “The Morcha will strongly argue for the withdrawal of cases and a field visit by the fact verification committee. A positive assurance on these two demands is likely to pave way for lifting the hunger strike,” he said.

If anything positive is decided at the meeting on the two demands, it would be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. For the Morcha, it seems, that assurance would prove enough to call off the hunger strike.

The assistant general secretary of the Morcha, Binay Tamang, who had also been on fast, said those on the hunger strike had decided not to take medical assistance. In a text message, he said: “Now we have decided not to take any medical aid, even doctors’ check up from today…. We will not tolerate this attitude of WB Gov…now we will prove ourselves (sic).”