Gurung leaves for Delhi to pursue statehood demand with Modi

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, 14 Mar 2015: GJM chief Bimal Gurung on Saturday left for New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the statehood demand. 

The five-member delegation he is leading to the national capital will also participate in the Morcha’s dharna at the Jantar Mantar that started on March 9. 

Interacting with media personnel this afternoon at Bagdogra airport, Gurung said, “I have written to the Centre seeking an appointment with prime minister and home minister as we are intent on pursuing our demand for statehood.” 

Speaking about the upcoming Siliguri Municipal Corporation election and the GJM contesting in it, he said the party’s Siliguri sub-division members have been entrusted with the task of overseeing affairs. The Morcha is looking to contest from all the 47 wards of the SMC. Gurung said the names of the candidates will be finalised after a meeting in Darjeeling. 

On the possibility of an alliance with the BJP, Gurung said, “There have been no talks on this subject but I have asked party leaders and cadres to work independently.” 

Gurung is being accompanied by Col (Retd) Ramesh Kumar Alley, RP Waiba, Dawa Lama, Vikram Rai and Suraj Sharma. 

It remains to be seen how effectively the GJM chief is able to persuade Modi to look into the statehood demand as the BJP has not supported it openly. 

Last year, the party’s election manifesto read: “The BJP reiterates that it will sympathetically examine and appropriately consider the long pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of Darjeeling district and the Dooars region; of the Kamtapuri, Rajbongshi and other people of North Bengal (including recognition of their languages); and will take initiatives for the permanent solution of the long pending issues of the Bodos and other tribals of Assam, the people of Sikkim, Leh, Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep and other such neglected regions.”