Rebuttal to the statement of Sudip Bandhopadhyaya, MP, Trinamool Congress

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 8 September 2013: The statement by Sudip Bandhopadhyaya, MP, Trinamool Congress in the Parliament on 06.09.2013 commenting against the Union Home Minister, Mr. Shinde meeting with the Joint Action Committee representatives and the centre's deliberate and motivated attempts to divide West Bengal has created a surge of protest nationwide. 

In a press release on behalf of Delhi GJM, Ranjan Sharma, General Secretary says that: - Did the state Administration inform the Union Home Minister and consult GTA before initiating the process of Lepcha Development Council within the GTA area? Why did the state not realize that there are several tribal communities in the hills and granting LDC would incite faction dividing people inciting severe communal disharmony? Is Trinamool Congress dictating terms to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minster, teaching what is right and what is wrong? Is the MP saying that the Prime Minister before making decisions at its discretion, should consult Trinamool government? 

Such sweeping comment in the floor of the Parliament indicates dictatorship and stubbornness in the Trinamool government and its negative approach towards our cause. If the W.B administration can repeatedly poke noses and interfere with the internal administration of GTA, why cannot the Union Government sit over with representatives of the hills and discuss problems faced by the people and suggest solutions. Another sweeping comment by the MP that Darjeeling has only three assembly seats, so how can three MLA’s claim for a separate state and there is no single Parliamentary constituency in the hills is all the more foolish and ridiculous. 

Ranjan Sharma asks, who is he to dictate and conclude that since Darjeeling has only three assembly seats and three MLA’s cannot claim for a separate state? Is there any provison in the Constitution of India or in any Law of the land stating that that areas having limited Assembly and Parliamentary seats have no right to demand a separate state? 

Ranjan rebuts the statement of MP saying that Gorkhas are not talking in the air. We are demanding a separate state under Article 3 of the Constitution of India and further on the grounds of linguistic and cultural differences as endorsed in the report of State’s Reorganization Commission. 

Our area was never a part of Bengal. Darjeeling and Tarai were part of Nepal, Kalimpong & Dooars a part of Bhutan. The areas were termed as Backward Tract (1870) , Scheduled District(1874) , Part of Raajshahi Division (1912) , Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (1935) and no Act of the Federal Legislature or of the Provincial Legislature ever applied to an excluded area or a partially excluded area. 

Darjeeling District was permanently absorbed in West Bengal in 1954 through the Absorbed Areas Act, merely on the ground of administrative convenience and there is no clarity in the Absorbed Areas Act as to why it has been absorbed in West Bengal. 

No scope, aims and objectives has been defined in the Absorbed Areas Act and no prior consultation was done with the stake holders when the Act was passed. Ranjan says that the Trinamool MP needs some crash course in the history of Darjeeling district, provisions of the Constitution and the ground reality in the hills. It is solely because WB administration never took our issue seriously and always turned a deaf ear, we approached the Centre. 

The Centre is also a party to the Tripartite Agreement and has the locus standi to interfere and resolve the issue. Article 73 of the Constitution also gives ample power and discretion to the Union to resolve issues in which Parliament has power to make laws, and the Bill of a separate state of Gorkhaland if created ,shall as per procedure ,has to be tabled in the Parliament.