Separatists are extortionists, says chief minister in Siliguri- ‘They have no other work but to demand a new state every now and then’

THT, Siliguri, 26 October 2013: SILIGURI: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday dubbed separatists as “extortionists”, a day after the under-pressure Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) reconciled with her government and announced it would work jointly with her for development.

“There are some who always indulge in the politics of divide and rule. They have no other work but to demand a new state every now and then,” said the chief minister.

“Some say divide Darjeeling, some are saying divide Terai, divide Dooars, divide Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar. Some say create a separate state for KLO and others,” she said adding, “These people have no work.”

The chief minister accused those seeking to divide the state of extortion. “They are collecting money in the name of movement. I do not support the movement that sheds people’s blood. I support the movement that gives confidence and love to people,” she said. She also spoke on how the state cannot be divided and said the Hills and the plains cannot survive in isolation.

Mamata was speaking at a government programme at Matigara near Siliguri. “I have seen and taken part in many agitations, but I will never support any movement which leads to bloodshed. I always support movements which are constructive, which are for the welfare of the people,” she added.

Mamata blamed the erstwhile Left Front government for neglecting the development of Darjeeling hills, and enumerated a host of developmental projects initiated by her government for turning the region into a “tourism hub”.

Observing that Darjeeling had more potential than even Switzerland as a tourist destination, she said her government was committed to developing infrastructure in the region with major emphasis on “teatourism”.

The GJM had been on a warpath with the state government after renewing its separatist movement late August following the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance’s endorsement of a Telangana state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

However, the Gorkha outfit following a meeting with Mamata on Friday extended an olive branch assuring it would cooperate with the government in developing the region. While its agitations were marked by life-crippling indefinite shutdowns, the GJM now has assured to clamp a “shutdown to shutdowns”.

“Now there will be a shutdown on shutdowns. In case of misunderstandings, we will sit across the table to sort them out with the state government and not allow it to reach the people,” GJM legislator Harka Bahadur Chettri had said following the meeting attended by several top Morcha leaders. “Gorkhaland is not in our syllabus now,” Chettri had said on Friday stressing the GJM’s commitment of running the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration - the autonomous hill council.

Armed with more powers than its predecessor, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council formed in the late 1980s, the GTA was created July 18, 2011 via a tripartite between the GJM and the state and central governments. The GJM swept the GTA’s maiden elections last year.

IANS, Darjeeling: A day after the warring Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) reconciled with the West Bengal government, assuring it would work jointly for development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday dubbed separatists as "extortionists".
"There are some who always indulge in the politics of divide and rule. They have no other work but to demand a new state every now and then. They do it only to extort money," Banerjee said at a government programme at Matigara near Siliguri of Darjeeling district, without naming the GJM, which has been spearheading the agitation for a Gorkhaland state in the northern Bengal hills.
Blaming the erstwhile Left Front government for neglecting the development of Darjeeling hills, she enumerated a host of developmental projects initiated by her government for turning the region into a "tourism hub".
Observing that Darjeeling had more potential than Switzerland as a tourist destination, she said her government was committed towards developing infrastructure in the region with major emphasis on "tea-tourism".
The GJM has been on a warpath with the Banerjee regime.
However, the Gorkha outfit following a meeting with Banerjee on Friday extended an olive branch assuring it would cooperate with the government in developing the region.