Amid Telangana buzz, GJM chalks out fresh strategy

ENS, Kolkata, Sat Jul 13 2013: With the Congress core committee holding a crucial meeting on the issue of carving out the state of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has been demanding Gorkhaland state, has once again told the Centre that it would renew its demand for statehood. 

Letters putting forth the demand have been sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. 

"Our central committee held a meeting on Thursday and decided on our next step. 

We will restart Gorkhaland agitation and this time the agitation will be in a more vigorous manner. The state has to witness the Gorkhaland movement in a new dimension," said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. 

Stating that they are keenly watching the Congress party's deliberations on Telangana issue, Giri said: "The moment the decision (on Telangana) will be announced in Delhi, we will start acting accordingly. Our stand is clear. It is a very serious situation for us. We cannot stay happy with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). 

Our demand for Gorkhaland is at least hundred years old. We should get priority for that too," added Giri. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, GJM MLA from Darjeeling, said, "If the Congress core committee decided in favour of Telangana state, then it is not possible for the GJM to continue with the GTA. 

The power is very much restricted in GTA. We cannot even take a developmental project on our own and for everything we need the approval of the state. For the transfer for an officer, we had to go to the court. So, the people in the hills are not happy with the GTA as it has a limited power."