Morcha rings protest bell

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Vivek Chhetri, TT, Kurseong, Sept. 14: Bimal Gurung today chose to announce a renewed agitation for Gorkhaland when Mamata Banerjee is in the hills.

Addressing an organisational meeting at Vah-Tukvar in Darjeeling today, Gurung said: "The GTA is a failure and it is because of the state government. There is dual administration through the DM. We now have to start an agitation for Gorkhaland."

He said he had asked the three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha MLAs to resign on September 18, not September 23 as announced earlier. "They will resign on the first day of the Assembly session."

The MLAs' resignation is in protest against the state government's alleged interference in the authority of the GTA.

The Morcha chief today said the renewed agitation would be "democratic" and would also be Centre-centric.

"Our agitation will not be against the state government. The Bengal government cannot give us Gorkhaland. The example of Telangana is testimony to this," Gurung said.

Terming the Centre's response towards Gorkhaland as positive, he said: "The Centre is positive towards our demand but then even a baby needs to cry for the mother to know that she needs to feed the baby. Time has come for us to cry."

He added: "All the development taking place in the hills is through funds from the Centre. The Bengal government has done nothing much."

Gurung predicted that the Morcha would be in power for long.

"When the party was formed we knew we would wield power for 25 years. Of this, we have spent 8 years and 17 more years are still there. We will not be affected by anything. In fact, if we work well we will be in the hills even after 25 years," Gurung said in a signal to the various development boards that were formed by Mamata.