Gurung rallies for central varsity, disagrees with Mamata’s Presidency plans

EOI, DARJEELING, 28 Aug 2015: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chief executive Bimal Gurung has requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to reconsider her decision of setting up a unit of the Presidency University in Kurseong, expressing apprehension that such a move would have an adverse effect on their demand for a central university. 

On Thursday, the GTA sent a written communication to the chief minister and Gurung today posted the contents of the letter on his social media page. While delivering her convocation speech in Kolkata’s Presidency University earlier, Banerjee had announced the decision to establish the varsity’s Himalayan Centre at Dow Hill in Kurseong sub-division at an estimated cost of Rs30 crore. She also made the same announcement in Darjeeling on August 25 in Gurung’s presence during the launch of the Clean and Green Darjeeling project. 

The GTA chief executive could not be reached for his comments but senior Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders said the letter requesting the chief minister to reconsider her decision has already been dispatched to Kolkata. 

“We sent a letter to the CM on Thursday, but there hasn’t been any response as yet. We will wait and see what happens and then will pursue the matter with her again,” said a GJM leader not wanting to be named. At the same time, Gurung’s post lauded Banerjee’s vision to transform Kurseong into an educational hub. 

“It is definitely praiseworthy and reflects the positive vision of the state government. However, our long standing demand for a central university is in its final stages as we have already submitted a detailed project report to the Union HR ministry as per one of the clauses in the GTA agreement. Therefore, at this juncture the CM’s announcement may have an adverse impact and the Centre may abort the plan to establish a central varsity in the hills,” reads the GTA chief executive’s post. 

The DPR for the proposed central varsity has been prepared by EdCil, a consultancy group under the Union human resources department, after experts conducted an on-site study. The DPR was submitted to the government last month. The GTA has already identified around 500 acres of land that is under the Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants in Mungpo for the central university. Gurung’s post also reiterates that the people of the hills have remained deprived in terms of pursuing higher education for more than 60 years, and has blamed the erstwhile Left Front government for this shortcoming. 

“The university promised for the hills was compromised by the establishment of the North Bengal University by the Left Front government. We feel that had the LF really desired the welfare of the hills in the sphere of higher education, it could have established appropriate institutions for the benefit of the hill students. Lack of vision and selfish short-sightedness has left the hills deprived of higher education,” the GTA chief executive said. 

Gurung signs off his post by thanking Banerjee for showing her concern and her desire to see hill students shining in their pursuit of higher education, but stresses that a central university for Darjeeling is the only solution.