GJM divided over ‘no-bandh call’ in hills

ENS, Kolkata, Sun Oct 27 2013: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is divided over party MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri's statement that there will be no bandh in the hills and that the party will not raise the demand for Gorkhaland.

Chhetri had said this after a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday.

The youth wing of GJM, Yuva Morcha, along with several senior leaders, said Saturday that they will continue with the statehood movement in the hills.

Yuva Morcha vice-president Jiten Rai said: "We do not subscribe to the statement that we will not raise the demand for Gorkhaland. We will continue with the agitation. We have clearly told our senior leaders that we do not want the GTA (Gorkha Territorial Administration) and our ultimate goal is Gorkahland."

"It is true we are facing police atrocities in the hills. At least seven senior leaders of the Yuva Morcha are now in jail. We will continue with the movement," he added.

As of now, all eyes are on GJM chief Bimal Gurung's public meeting to be held Sunday in the hills.

Sources in the GJM said Gurung would speak on the Gorkhaland issue though he would support the party's "no- bandh call" in the hills.

"Gurung would speak in favour of Gorkhaland as there is a clause in the GTA agreement that the statehood demand cannot be dropped. He will now take people to Delhi where there will be a dharna in support of Gorkhaland," said a senior central committee member of GJM. Meanwhile, with Benoy Tamang, who was elected GTA chief executive last month behind the bars, Gurung is likely to accept the post of chief executive yet again, said a source.

Gurung has resigned from the post on July 29 in support of Gorkhaland. There has been 43 days of bandh in the hills since.