Morcha rivals

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kalimpong, May 18: The CPRM and the ABGL today said the GTA Sabha remained a major stumbling block to creating Gorkhaland and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha must first reject the hill body in order to create a situation for parties in favour of the separate state to come together on the same platform.

Morcha president and GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung had said yesterday that all political parties based in the Darjeeling hills must come together to strive for the creation of the separate state.

Reacting to Gurung’s call, Govind Chhetri, the spokesman for the CPRM, said: “The Morcha must take positive steps to bring about unity in the hills. It can make a start by passing a resolution in favour of Gorkhaland in the GTA. Thereafter, the Morcha must reject the GTA and quit.”

ABGL secretary Pratap Khati cautioned that if the Morcha continued to hang on to the GTA, Gorkhaland would not be achieved even during the five-year tenure of the Narendra Modi government.

“The GTA is an obstacle to Gorkhaland. Pass a resolution on Gorkhaland in the GTA and then do away with the hill body completely. Let the Morcha demonstrate its sincerity. We must take advantage of the BJP government and the animosity between Modi and Mamata Banerjee to realise our goal. It is a known fact that a separate state can be created without the nod of a state Assembly,” he said.

Although both the CPRM and the ABGL today demanded that a resolution be passed in favour of Gorkhaland in the GTA, the hill body had taken up a resolution to the effect on October 4, 2013.