Desperate Gurung claims his 'hukumat'

TNN | Aug 24, 2013,  DARJEELING: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is perhaps desperate for a showdown with the state government to prove its supremacy in Hills politics. Speaking at a mass gathering near his Patlebas residence, party chief Bimal Gurung on Friday afternoon asserted GJM "hukumat" in the Hills.

His tough stance seemed to have an immediate effect with the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, which had earlier invited chief minister Mamata Banerjee to be felicitated in Siliguri on September 2, saying it will rethink the decision. 

Gurung's speech came hours after the arrest of three GJM activists - Arun Diyali, Bhaskar Mukhia and Jiten Sotang - in connection with the arson at Pokhriabong police outpost on August 2. Darjeeling SP Kunal Agarwal said an improvised gun and a khukri were found on the men - making it the first time in this fresh phase of GJM agitation that supporters were arrested with weapons. The trio was remanded in police custody for four days. Police said all three have criminal antecedents. 

Gurung told the gathering that Friday onwards, all municipal commissioners will be responsible for mobilizing the masses in urban areas for the street agitation and rallies during the shutdown. Sources hinted that Gurung is very unhappy with the town populace for poor participation in the recent agitation. Hence, the diktat for townsmen. 

The GJM chief also made it clear that the tea gardens were exempt from shutdown. Sources hinted that as the urban populace is suffering more than their rural counterparts due to the "mindless" shutdowns, they are turning away from the movement. So now, Gurung's main support base is the gardens, which is why he doesn't want to disturb these. 

The pressure from pro-Gorkhaland activists on the Lepchas was evident from their decision to reconsider the CM's felicitation. Bhupendra Lepcha, convener of the Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association, told TOI on Friday that they had taken the decision two months ago. "We have learnt from her social network site update that she is coming to north Bengal in the first week of September. But in view of the present situation, we have convened an executive committee meeting on Sunday, where we will decide whether we will felicitate her," said Lepcha. 

The newly formed Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) has, however, decided to distance itself from the GJM's unilaterally announced agitation. The other GJAC members are apparently unhappy with the way Gurung on Thursday announced the indefinite shutdown without discussing it with them. 

On Friday, CPRM, a key member of GJAC, announced a separate rally - a clear indication that within a week of the committee's formation, the rift between GJM and the others is wide open. 

On Friday, GJAC held an internal meeting in Kalimpong which GJM leaders did not attend. Committee chairman Enos Das Pradhan told TOI that they will lend moral support to the GJM agitation for Gorkahaland, but won't participate actively. He also said the torch rallies and human chain protests that were scheduled to be held over the coming three days have been put off. GJAC sources hinted that they may meet again on August 26 to decide the fate of the forum. 

Das Pradhan, however, asserted that GJM has every right to announce its programme independently. "The government is using gun power to crush the movement. More than 700 GJM activists have been put behind bars. So it is quite natural for Gurung to react against state oppression in this way," he said. 

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, on the other hand, claimed that his party has not imposed any shutdown in the Hills. "It's a spontaneous shutdown by the people," he claimed. 

GJM central committee members on Friday decided not to attend the assembly session. Asked about their resignation from the legislature, Darjeeling MLA Tilak Dewan said they will decide on resigning from both GTA and the assembly at the August 26 GJAC meeting. Earlier, GJM had written to the speaker that they would sit on the opposition bench instead of the treasury bench. But now, perhaps under pressure from party hardliners, they have decided to boycott the assembly altogether. 

In a central committee meeting during the day, GJM leaders also decided to boycott the GTA meeting called by principal secretary R D Meena on September 4.