Oath in city for Gurung - Morcha chief to rejoin GTA in conciliatory measure

Mamata Banerjee with Bimal Gurung (left) and Morcha leader Roshan Giri (right) at Nabanna. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Mamata Banerjee with Bimal Gurung (left) and Morcha leader Roshan Giri (right)
at Nabanna. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

TT, Calcutta, Dec. 20: Bimal Gurung will return as the chief of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabha and renew his oath on December 26 at Raj Bhavan in Calcutta, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the government said today.

The announcement, made after a 90-minute meeting between Gurung and chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna this afternoon, seemed to complete the reconciliation process between the Morcha and the state government.

“We will renew our oath on December 26. I will rejoin the GTA. This had to be done for the good of the people,” Gurung said.

On her way out of Nabanna, Mamata said the oath-taking ceremony would take place at the governor’s residence in Calcutta next Thursday.

Government sources said Gurung, who had quit as the GTA chief executive on July 30 to renew the statehood agitation, did not need “much convincing” at today’s meeting to rejoin the post.

Gurung skirted questions on his party’s statehood demand. “Woh baad mein dekh sakta hain (we might consider it later),” he said.

Gurung said Mamata had “requested” him to restore normality in the GTA. “That is something I want too. We will all work well, work together again,” he added.

Mamata and Gurung had last met at Chowrastha in Darjeeling on January 29 during the inauguration of the Darjeeling leg of Uttarbanga Utsav. At that event, Mamata had said Darjeeling “is a part of us”, angering the Morcha.

Days later, Mamata announced a development board for the Lepchas under the government, a decision that annoyed the Morcha as it was in favour of setting up the board under the GTA.

The July-September Gorkhaland movement strained the ties between the Morcha and the government further. The government countered the agitation with stern administrative steps, including the arrest of Morcha leaders.

“There are problems sometimes in a family living under the same roof. But those ought to be resolved among themselves. That is what we are doing,” Gurung said today.

He said Mamata had “assured” him that the Morcha’s demand of releasing the arrested leaders would be looked into. “It’s a legal matter. Steps will be taken. The legal process takes some time and we understand that. They will be released,” Gurung said.

The Morcha chief said the issue of the lone Lok Sabha seat in Darjeeling was not discussed at the meeting. The party has said it does not want an “outsider” to contest it.

Gurung said he requested Mamata to ensure that elections to gram panchayats and panchayat samitis in Darjeeling were held by July next year.