Activists not criminals but nationalists.

Hillman the analyst, KalimNews, Kalimpong, 8 November 2013: The GJM delegation to the Governor M.K.Narayan, presently camping in Darjeeling is no doubt the right approach in petitioning the grievances meted out to the statehood activists presently under custodial detention facing various criminal charges purportedly related to and possibly vented out in the normal process of agitation.
At times it may have been violent considering the allegation of repressive measures meted out to the activists by the state machinery complying with instructions by the govt. in power to nip the agitation to ground zero level. At least this is the opinion generally expressed by the agitationists, many of whom are now under judicial detention charged with cases of law and order – which infact does not exist at all in the Darjeeling hills since the time of the last GNLF agitation ending by accepting the DGH Council which now under hindsight consideration was established for the vested interest of the state than as an liberating measure for the hill people demanding separation from West Bengal, or the right to internal self rule.
One is reminded to note that the DGHC was created by amending the Constitution to suit the purpose of the State and certainly not to the welfare of the hill peoples. The creation of DGHC allowed the state to further rule the hill peoples by remote controlled operations from Kolkata.
Similar effort is being undertaken by the state to strangle the demand for statehood as far as possible and which is presently being exposed by accounting for the proliferation of plains political party spreading its tentacles around the GJM- TMC fray. The agitation for the separate state which as a matter of constitutional implication is certainly about to be a reality but this is politically being hijacked by the combined strength in the unity of all the plains political parties presently opposing the separate statehood demand tooth and nail. This joint effort itself exposes the eventuality of the statehood demand is genuine and fertile to bear the fruit in time.
The present blitzkrieg attack on the GJM activists and a random effort to create TMC mobilisation in different parts of the hills with ideals of development and progress, can easily be detected as politicizing the agitation towards derailing it, opportunistically. Despite these massive efforts towards destabalising the statehood agitation, there is no question of a doubt that all these efforts by the opponents of the demand will have no effect at all – as the legality of the demand is already affirmed by the Centre.
To enable the statehood demand, the appending legalities are presently being initiated and implemented by the Centre by having recourse to placing a Bill in the Rajya Sabha in regard to the legislation of additional Scheduled Tribes in the respective states implied. The importance of the Bill originates from the fact that the Central govt. was ordered by the Supreme Court of India to implement the Bill into an Act, and on basis of which instruction the govt. placed the Bill as an Ordinance for effective and early implementation.
However this was not to be as the Bill came under the hammer of opposition parties which seemed to have all united under a banner of opposition demanding further discussion of the Bill by the respective Parliamentary Standing Committee. This delay is seen as a tactical move by the West Bengal legislatures in the Rajya Sabha in tacit combination with other major opposition parties in the House, BJP, CPM, etc., probably extending the period till after the forthcoming general elections in 2014. This maybe the anticipated engineered program expected by the political parties of the plains, and more particularly the dispensation.
With all these behind the scene political arrangements, the state operating full time in ensuring the top level activists are behind bars under criminal offences without bail facilities, speaks volumes of the fact that both the actions combined is directly pointed towards marginalising the statehood movement as far as practically possible. Despite which, as already mentioned above, the statehood demand would eventually becomes a reality as the entire program of the statehood demand is backed by legal guarantees provided by the Constitution under the provision of the Fifth Schedule which existence is confirmed by the fact that a Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) exists in West Bengal since the commencement of the Constitution implied by the functioning of the first Parliament of India in 1952.
Considering this aspect of the Constitution there is no doubt whatsoever that the state of Gorkhaland, or whatever the name decided at the time of delivery, is bound to become a reality.
Therefore it would be a consolation, at least for the time being, for all those held under custodial detention in whatever form, one or the other, will be happy to note that their sufferings in detention would in later times glorify them as leaders who suffered for the sake of their loved ones so that these could in time breathe fresh air of democracy under self rule as a state. This has been the interpretation of history as far as one can recollect – all political victims in times of agitation or rebellion if you will, maybe considered by the administration or the rulers as law breakers and scoundrels which as a matter of fact is a subjective consideration of those holding power.
However the objective observation is verily the contrary – those under detention in whatever form, are the true martyrs for the cause and hence their acknowledgement as leaders of the state in time. Their services will not go in vain, infact it would further attract attention from the Centre (whichever political party in power) to consider the demand as genuinely expressed by the stakeholders as a matter of right in a democracy.
Having said the above, Binay Tamang who is presently undergoing self imposed hunger strike and unwilling to break it, shows his strength of will and dedication to the final cause for the separate state of Gorkhaland. He requires to be congratulated for his determination of his conviction, though he has been charged under criminal offences, will in time bring out the whole truth. He will certainly be exonerated and would infact become one of the greatest leaders of GJM, by the sheer fact that despite being in jail, which itself is a painful suffering, but also undergoing hunger strike is surely a mark of a great leader, and a true nationalist – suffering for his peoples liberty is by no means not an ordinary feat.
As a mark of respect for this great leader it is but a suggestion if all statehood stakeholders send a few words in appreciation of his sacrifices for the people would be a noble gesture. Sending a card for his good health alone would be an appreciable gesture – at least at this moment of crisis when the statehood is only behind the next bend.
It is possible in the upcoming Tripartite an indication towards statehood would be expressed by those in power at the Centre. Those also in custody along with Binay Tamang, also are to be remembered and a few exchanges of greetings to them in the form of a greeting card, expressing their well being, despite the vagaries of custodial detention, would be another grandeur idea. Those in detention under the banner of GJM are not activists but genuine nationalists, legally demanding their rights under the Constitution.