Hills wait for Aug 16 meet- Common platform strategy to come hard further says observers

Vivek Ghatani, KalimNews, Siliguri, August 12: As the Darjeeling hills plunged with a strategy where all political leaders of the hills irrespective of their colour coming in a single platform to achieve a separate statehood and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) announcing a breather till August 18, a probable question did make rounds on Monday as to whether the agitation would come up hard in the coming days. 

Observers in the hills closely watching the movement are of the opinion that the ‘common platform’ strategy resolution taken by an all party meeting is a positive development while at no cost the Morcha’s effort to abide by the High court order is a step backward taken because of the 72 hours ultimatum served by the Bengal chief minister Mamata Bannerjee. 

An observer on Monday said the entire leaders who vowed to fight for Gorkhaland today are hard liner political leaders who are dedicated to the demand. 

“Since these leaders are hardliners it is my opinion that the agitation would come hard in the coming days. It is always believed that a collective effort is a best way to reach the goal,” said the observer. 

“It is no way the move to temporarily abide by the high court order is a step backward because in movement like the one for Gorkhaland everything is fair,” he added. Observers also feel that the decision to not quit the Gorkha Territorial Admintration (GTA) is also a right move given that the state government is hell-bent to impose the body without conferring any bigger power.

“Quitting the GTA means that the state will appoint an administrator the last thing not required for the benefit of the agitation,” said another observer. 

“Certainly if this is realized and the Gorkhaland Movement is unitedly pursued under an all party banner with apolitical organisations like Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) and others participating as an equal and active member the Gorkhaland Movement will achieve such momentum that it will be almost impossible for both the Central and State Government to stop it” the observer added. 

An observer however wrote in social networking site that it is time also for Dr. Mahendra P.Lama, a well known economist also to join the common platform. 

“It would also be good to see Dr. Mahendra P. Lama join this 'All Party Committee' and help steer it in a right direction. It is of greatest importance that leaders of such caliber come together setting aside their personal egos and ambitions for once to pursue the demand for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland. 

After the formation of the state, they can all then engage in electoral politics but what we need today is not a mutual engagement in electoral politics but indeed an 'United Struggle towards the achievement of the separate state of Gorkhaland” the observer writes. 

The all party union has decided to sit for another round of talks on August 16 and all eyes are glued on the outcome.