CM’s Darj visit marked by Lepcha inspiration....HILLS SMILING AGAIN! .....Tamang and Limbu communities, too, come up with demands for similar development boards

Amitava Banerjee, THT, Darjeeling, 24 Oct 2013: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is all set to reap rich political dividends from the Lepcha development board. 

Within a few months of the Mayal Lyang Lepcha Development Board becoming functional, other Hill communities, including the Tamangs and the Limbus, are queueing up with requests for similar development boards for their communities. Incidentally, the Lepchas, an indigenous tribe of the Darjeeling Hills and its surrounding areas, had been agitating for an administrative setup for all-round development of the community. 

On September 2, 2011, Banerjee had formally announced that a board for development of the Lepchas would be constituted. 

The Mayal Lyang Lepcha Development Board under the Backward Class Development Department finally saw the light of day on September 3, 2012. 

The formation of the Lepcha board sparked severe criticism, especially from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which dubbed it a “divide-and-rule policy” of the state government. On Wednesday, while Banerjee was attending the Lepcha development board function, members of the Tamang and Limbu communities arrived with requests of formation of similar boards. 

“We’d approached the chief minister in the Dooars and during her visit to Kalimpong on September 3 with requests for the formation of a similar board. Today, we had a meeting with her at the Richmong Hill government guesthouse in Darjeeling at 7pm. She assured us that she would look into the matter and facilitate the formation of a Tamang development board at the earliest opportunity,” Nima Yonzon of the Tamang Youth Association told Hindustan Times. 

Although representatives of the Limbu Association were present, the chief minister was unable to sit at a meeting with them because of her tight schedule. 

DURING THE DAY, I MET MANY PEOPLE ON (MY) WAY. I AM HAPPY TO SEE THAT DARJEELING IS COOL AND NORMAL. I REQUEST MY TOURIST FRIENDS TO VISIT AND ENJOY KURSEONG... AND DARJEELING.... MAMATA BANERJEE, Chief minister.

“We’ve decided to meet North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb with requests for a similar board. He can pass on the request to the chief minister. We’ll meet her again during her next visit to the Hills,” RK Subba of the Limbu Association said. 

In Kurseong, Banerjee handed out cheques of 1 lakh each to Lepcha women under the Rong Lee (Lepcha House) Housing Scheme. This scheme has been specially designed by the Backward Class Department for the benefit of poor Lepcha villagers without homes. Each house will be built at a cost of 2 lakh. 

The government has sanctioned 1,000 houses at a total cost of 20 crore. She also handed out appointment letters to 52 Lepcha youths for the posts of data entry operators and office assistants in various government offices. 

Three ambulances bought from the MP local area development ( MPLAD) fund of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekha Rai was handed over to the sub-divisional officers (SDOs) of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong by the chief minister. 

Amid hearty slogans of “achuley” (Lepcha for ‘hail’) Banerjee addressed the huge Lepcha turnout at the St Alphonsus School grounds in Kurseong, spreading the message of peace and development. 

Without naming any person or party, Mamata appealed with folded hands, “Fight with me, but keep peace in Darjeeling. You don’t have to support me, but support Darjeeling and the cause of Darjeeling. Just keep the peace and allow us to continue with our development activities in the Hills.” 

Criticising the politics of bandhs, Mamata said, “Bandhs have affected the Hills — especially tourism and education. Please don’t spoil the legacy of Darjeeling as a world-renowned tourist destination and education hub. Please don’t spoil what we’re toiling hard to create.” 

Lyansong Tamansang, chairman of the Lepcha board, dubbed Mamata a “bestower of good fortune”. “She’s worked relentlessly for our community, for which we’ll always remain grateful,” he said, adding that the board had already received 20 crore out of the earlier announced 50 crore grant-inaid for the Lepcha board. 

Later, the chief minister posted on a social network site: “During the day, I met many people on (my) way. I am happy to see that Darjeeling is cool and normal. I request my tourist friends to visit and enjoy beautiful Kurseong, Kalimpong and Darjeeling.More beautiful than these places, are my brothers and sisters of Darjeeling. I wish to see continued peace and development for the prosperity of Darjeeling.” 

Before the Lepcha programme, defying security concerns, Mamata walked up to St Joseph’s Girls School in Kurseong and obliged the students by signing autographs. 

On her way to Darjeeling, the chief minister was greeted at different spots by Trinamool Congress supporters. Traditional gates had been erected to welcome her at nine places en route to Darjeeling. She even got down to visit some monasteries.