Morcha 35 switch to CPM

TT, Siliguri, March 18: Around 35 workers of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha from Kalimpong subdivision joined the CPM here today, saying the hill party had become corrupt.

Led by Morcha leader Rohit Biswarkarma, the 30-odd youths walked into Anil Biswas Bhawan, the Darjeeling district CPM office. They joined the CPM in the presence of the party’s district secretary Jibesh Sarkar, former minister Asok Bhattacharya and Saman Pathak, the CPM candidate for the Darjeeling Parliament seat.

“We are disillusioned with the Morcha which has become a party of corruption now. Also, we sincerely feel that a permanent solution to the hill problem cannot be found by local and regional parties like the Morcha or Trinamul, which are opportunist,” said Biswakarma.

In the past two-three years, it was Morcha workers who have mostly switched to the Trinamul. Today’s switch was the first time when Morcha workers joined the CPM.

The new entrants into the CPM said Trinamul candidate for Darjeeling, Bhaichung Bhutia, might not solve basic problems faced by the people.

“All of us have joined CPM as we don’t think Bhaichung Bhutia can address our basic problems. We don’t think he can realise the problems faced by us like collecting drinking water from hilly streams because of the absence of water supply. It is only the CPM, which has the grassroots support, can address such issues,” said a Morcha worker.

Another Morcha worker said: “In the name of development, the Trinamul government has created a rift within different hill communities.”