Gurung requests CM to reconsider Presidency plan

Vivek Chhetri, TT Darjeeling, Aug. 28: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung today took to Facebook to request Mamata Banerjee to reconsider her plans of setting up a campus of Presidency University in Kurseong, mildly prodding the government instead of resorting to belligerent protests like in the past.

"At this juncture, appreciating the motive of the Hon'ble CM, the people of the Hills would appeal to her to reconsider the decision as it may have an adverse impact and the Centre may back out on the decision on the establishment of the Central University," Gurung wrote.

As part of her plans to woo the people of the Darjeeling hills, the chief minister has planned to set up a Presidency campus on the premises of Dow Hill School in Kurseong and also announced a package of Rs 30 crore for the project. During her address at a programme in Chowrasta, Darjeeling's most famous promenade, on August 25, Mamata had iterated her plans in Gurung's presence.

Some Morcha sources linked Gurung's opposition to the university campus to a feeling among academics that it might come in the way of the planned central university in the hills. Others in the party said Gurung wanted to thwart Mamata's attempts to earn brownie points at a time Trinamul is trying to make its presence felt in the hills.

"By forming development boards for several hill communities, Mamata has already got a toehold in the hills. The impact of a university campus by the state government must have been playing on Gurung's mind," a political observer said.

Gurung's Facebook post stood out for its praise of the state government.

"The Hon'ble CM's announcement of a Campus of Presidency University at Kurseong is a positive sign of the vision of the government to make Kurseong an education hub," the post said.

Gurung lambasted the erstwhile Left government, which sources said was an attempt to do a balancing act.

"For the past 60 plus years the people of the Hills have suffered deprivation in the sphere of Higher Education. The University promised for the Hills was compromised by the establishment of the North Bengal University by the Government that preceded the present Government," he wrote.

North Bengal University was set up in Siliguri in 1962. At that time too, hill parties had demanded that a university be set up in Darjeeling by upgrading Darjeeling Government College, which came into being in 1948.

Gurung said a higher education centre was a long-standing demand of the people of Darjeeling and added that the central university, as mentioned in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement, was in its final stage as a detailed project report had been submitted to the Union human resource development ministry in July.

Morcha sources said the theme of the Facebook post was that the party president did not want to antagonise the chief minister.

"Another campus of an university would not have squandered the chance of a central university as it was promised in the GTA agreement," a state government official said.