Fireworks light up Darjeeling sky

GURUNG It’s now a do-or-die battle to achieve Gorkhaland MAMATA The Hills have always been an integral part of Bengal 

THT,KOLKATA/DARJEELING: After a brief lull, the fireworks are back with a bang. On Tuesday, hours after the Centre decided to carve a separate state of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung shut down the Hills to press his demand for Gorkhaland. “It’s now a do-or-die battle for a separate state,” he said. 

On Wednesday, the state hit back at the demand. “The Darjeeling hills are an integral part of Bengal and will remain that way,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters. 

She took on the Centre for encouraging such divisive forces only to gain a few extra seats in the polls. In Darjeeling, the GJM leadership worked on a two-pronged strategy: while the agitation in the Hills would continue — an indefinite bandh has been called from Saturday — and even intensified, Gurung would rush a team of senior leaders to New Delhi to meet leaders of all political parties and lobby for Gorkhaland. 

“We’re sending a six-member delegation to Delhi. They will meet leaders of all parties and argue for Gorkhaland,” Roshan Giri, GJM general secretary, told HindustanTimes. 

Back in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee’s target was more the UPA government than the GJM. “The Centre must remember that it has a role in maintaining peace in Darjeeling hills,” the chief minister said, alleging that the Congress regime was fanning discontent in the state. “I’ve got specific information that some Union ministers met Gurung and asked him to start a fresh movement on the Gorkhaland issue. 

They also promised Gurung that that if not a separate state, they would try their best for Union Territory status for Darjeeling. I’ve decided to write to the Prime Minister on this,” she said. The war of words between the state’s two most prominent personalities drew instant political reactions. State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharjee said Mamata Banerjee was unnecessarily politicising the Telangana issue. 

“She should know that Telangana and Gorkhaland cannot be compared,” he said. The chief minister hinted at strict administrative action to contain the unrest in the Hills. “If anyone creates tension in Darjeeling, the state government will take strong action.”