Gurung hill unity call on CM visit eve - Mamata to lay foundation for education hub & Presi campus that Morcha opposed

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Sept. 13: Bimal Gurung today told residents of the Darjeeling hills to "derail the state's divide-and-rule policy and come forward for Gorkhaland", a day before Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to lay the foundation for a Presidency University campus he had opposed.

The exhortation by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief came hours after the state administration's move to keep Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma out of the list of invitees to the event.

The Morcha does not want a Presidency University campus in the hills as it thinks the Centre would not sanction the making of a central university, as mentioned in the GTA memorandum of understanding.

Gunrung's Facebook post in Nepali says the Morcha was formed for the creation of Gorkhaland and the party was "still committed to the cause".

He said: "We had supported the NDA, which is in favour of Gorkhaland in 2009 and elected Jaswant Singh, too. However, the issue could not be strongly raised then. We have also elected S.S. Ahluwalia now. The year 2016-2017 is decisive for Gorkhaland."

He wrote that the state government was "conspiring and indulging in a divide-and-rule policy. If we are not united now, the state government will be successful in its agenda. The interference in the GTA is testimony to the fact that the state is against the self-determination of our people...."

He said that at "this decisive moment for Gorkhaland, I appeal to all to derail the state's divide-and-rule policy and come forward for Gorkhaland".

The Morcha chief has in the last few days spoken out repeatedly against the state government's alleged high-handedness.

Gurung has also been against the chief minister's move to set up separate development boards for every hill community - the last one was for the Bhutias - which the Morcha chief thinks would divide the hill people.

Gurung was also annoyed that the chief minister directed district officials to crack down on illegal highrises in Darjeeling.

On Friday, the Morcha said its three MLAs would resign from the Assembly on September 23 to protest the interference of the state government in the GTA's matters.

Tomorrow, Mamata is scheduled to lay the foundation for the Dow Hill Education Hub and The Himalayan Centre of Presidency University in Kurseong at 4pm.

It is a common practice to invite the local MLA, irrespective of his/her affiliation, to government events.

But the invitation card has the names of only ministers Partha Chatterjee and Gautam Deb, apart from the chief minister.

Asked if he would attend the programme, Sharma said: "I received the invitation card but my name is not there.... Do they expect me to attend the event as a spectator? This is the high-handedness of the state government."

An official in Darjeeling who is involved with arrangements for Mamata's visit said: "The card was finalised by the higher education department in Calcutta."

Told about the MLA's grievance, Vivek Kumar, the principal secretary in the higher education department, refused comment.

Even though administrative sources said the card's content had been finalised before the Morcha's MLA resignation threat on Friday, Gurung had sent enough signals throughout last week that he was displeased with the state government.