GJM’s Binay Tamang becomes new GTA chief.....Mamata’s rough & tough policy pays as GJM goes back to GTA

Amitava Banerjee, THT, 28 Sep 2013: DARJEELING: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s “rough and tough” policy paid dividends with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) finally returning to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) after more than a month of political unrest in the Darjeeling Hills. GTA executive member Binay Tamang was unanimously nominated the new GTA chief executive member on Friday. GJM president Bimal Gurung, however, stayed away from the meeting.

Spurred by the UPA’s decision to carve out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, the GJM had started an agitation for a separate state since July 30 with GJM president Bimal Gurung resigning from the post of GTA chief executive member. 

Amidst an indefinite bandh, arrests of GJM supporters and GTA members, the state government had announced a sabha meeting on September 4 to elect a new chief. 

The GJM boycotted the meeting handing over a petition that 10 arrested GTA members have to be released unconditionally. The government then announced September 27 as the date for another GTA sabha meeting to elect a new chief. The GJM climbed down from its earlier stand and unconditionally took part in Friday’s meeting where it nominated Tamang as the new chief. 

Out of the 45 GTA members, 34 members attended (with 10 arrested and Gurung staying away) the meeting held at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha in Darjeeling town on Friday noon.

In the absence of Tamang, who is at present in a jail in Jalpaiguri, GTA executive member Roshan Giri proposed his name, which was accepted by the house. A resolution was also adopted by the GTA Sabha for the unconditional release of all arrested GJM supporters and members of the autonomous body. 

“The meeting was on a one point agenda of electing a new chief. However, a resolution was adopted by the GTA members and handed over to me. I will forward it to the state government,” said Ram Das Meena, principal secretary, GTA. Regarding the oath taking ceremony of the new chief, Meena said the GTA would write to the state government and as per the convenience of the Governor a date would be fixed. Governor MK Narayanan is scheduled to visit North Bengal on October 4 and 5. 

Binay Tamang had been arrested on August 21 from Rongpu on the Bengal-Sikkim border. “There are 2 cases pending against him at the Darjeeling court and another case in Jalpaiguri. The chief judicial magistrate court, Darjeeling, rejected his bail prayer on September 26. We will again move bail on September 30,” said Seshmani Gurung of the GJM legal cell. 

When questioned on the sudden climb down after calling for more than a month bandh in the Hills, which resulted in the salary cuts of government and GTA employees, Pradhan said, “This is politics. One has to act as the situation demands. Sometimes in politics one takes a step forward and sometimes backward. We feel that this move will help create an atmosphere for tripartite talks between the Centre, state and the GJM for Gorkhaland soon.” 

Following the GTA meeting, the GJM central committee, along with the GTA members, met party president Gurung at the Singamari party office. “The Gorkhaland agitation has been suspended till October 20. After that we will chalk out our future strategy and plan of action. We have certain pending work in GTA, which we will complete. Till October 20, how the GTA will be run will be decided by our party president Gurung. In the next GTA meeting we will discuss the salary cut of GTA employees,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. 

Incidentally, the Gorkha Janmukti Asthahi Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS adhoc GTA workers union affiliated to the GJM) had demanded the scrapping of the GTA. 

Following the GTA meeting, the GJM central committee, along with the GTA members, met party president Gurung at the Singamari party office. “The Gorkhaland agitation has been suspended till October 20. After that we will chalk out our future strategy and plan of action. We have certain pending work in GTA, which we will complete. Till October 20, how the GTA will be run will be decided by our party president Gurung. In the next GTA meeting we will discuss the salary cut of GTA employees,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. 
Incidentally, the Gorkha Janmukti Asthahi Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS adhoc GTA workers union affiliated to the GJM) had demanded the scrapping of the GTA. The GJM boycotted the meeting handing over a petition that 10 arrested GTA members have to be released unconditionally. The government then announced September 27 as the date for another GTA sabha meeting to elect a new chief. 
The GJM climbed down from its earlier stand and unconditionally took part in Friday’s meeting where it nominated Tamang as the new chief. Out of the 45 GTA members, 34 members attended (with 10 arrested and Gurung staying away) the meeting held at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha in Darjeeling town on Friday noon. In the absence of Tamang, who is at present in a jail in Jalpaiguri, GTA executive member Roshan Giri proposed his name, which was accepted by the house. 
A resolution was also adopted by the GTA Sabha for the unconditional release of all arrested GJM supporters and members of the autonomous body. “The meeting was on a one point agenda of electing a new chief. However, a resolution was adopted by the GTA members and handed over to me. I will forward it to the state government,” said Ram Das Meena, principal secretary, GTA. 
Regarding the oath taking ceremony of the new chief, Meena said the GTA would write to the state government and as per the convenience of the Governor a date would be fixed. Governor MK Narayanan is scheduled to visit North Bengal on October 4 and 5. Binay Tamang had been arrested on August 21 from Rongpu on the Bengal-Sikkim border. 
“There are 2 cases pending against him at the Darjeeling court and another case in Jalpaiguri. The chief judicial magistrate court, Darjeeling, rejected his bail prayer on September 26. We will again move bail on September 30,” said Seshmani Gurung of the GJM legal cell. When questioned on the sudden climb down after calling for more than a month bandh in the Hills, which resulted in the salary cuts of government and GTA employees, Pradhan said, “This is politics. One has to act as the situation demands. Sometimes in politics one takes a step forward and sometimes backward. We feel that this move will help create an atmosphere for tripartite talks between the Centre, state and the GJM for Gorkhaland soon.” 
The GJM leaders also held a meeting with JAKS. “We have made it clear to them that at the appropriate time we will definitely discard the GTA,” added Giri.