Hill TMC accuse GJM of stoking trouble

EOI, DARJEELING, 29 August 2016: The hill TMC today accused the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha of trying to stoke trouble and destabilise the region in the name of agitating for a Gorkhaland state, warning this could affect the  upcoming tourist season as it appealed to the district administration to maintain peace and stability.

The TMC leaders have also taken exception to the statement made by a senior GJM leader and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Sabhasad targeting state minister Arup Biswas on Sunday in Kurseong.

“Words like ‘kathcu’ (will cut you) and ‘marchu’ (will kill you) by GJM leaders are unacceptable in a democracy. Such statements will have wide ramification when made in public. The district administration  must take steps to ensure such statements are not spoken and that peace of the region is maintained,” said Rajen Muhkia, the hill TMC president today during a press briefing.

The TMC leader’s remarks were in obvious reference to statements made by some youth GJM leaders while pledging support to party president Bimal Gurung’s recent announcement to start the statehood  agitation afresh. Gurung has threatened to quit as the GTA chief executive and head into agitation. The GTA Sabhasads supporting Gurung have also said they would resign.

The TMC, which is making inroads into the hills, is not in the mood to digest such statements and wants the district administration to curb any uprising in the bud, before it goes out of hand like it did earlier.

“Peace has returned to the hills and the state government is doing everything to develop the region. The tourist season is just up ahead. GJM leaders announcing an agitation and calling to take up arms will  disrupt the tourist season and we do not want this to happen,” said Mukhia.

The TMC president said his party was not in favour of again witnessing the bloodshed of the 1986 agitation and that fights, if any, should be to win elections democratically. “We don’t want brothers to go against each other. We have seen enough bloodshed in 1986. Elections should be the only fight and whoever wins will rule the hills. Our party has vision and we want good governance, which is also what the  people now want,” Mukhia said.

The TMC also wants the GJM president to take proactive steps to rein in party leaders and workers. “They (GJM leaders) from Kurseong are saying they would resort to showing black flags and even stone-pelting if a TMC minister comes to the hills. This is nothing but frustration being shown by the GJM leadership as we have managed to make dents in their ranks and fold. But he (Gurung) should rein  his supporters,” the TMC president said.

On Sunday, reacting to state minister Arup Biswas’s public speech on August 24 that Gurung and other GJM leaders would be forced to leave the hills, GTA Sabhasad from Kurseong, Yogendra Rai, threatened to ban the entry of the minister in the region. “How can the minister (Biswas) say that we will be forced to leave our place? We condemn his remarks. If this is repeated, we will give him a black flag reception and even resort to stone pelting. We will ban his entry to the hills,” Rai had warned.

Today, Mukhia said the TMC would contest all the elections in the hills to usher in development and change as the people were disillusioned by the GJM party. “People are fed up of the GJM and want an alternative face. We the TMC want to be that change and hence, will contest both municipality and GTA elections as also the panchayat polls slated in 2017,” the TMC president said.

Meanwhile, during the “Bhasa Diwas” programme organised by the GJM, Gurung said he would remind Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his promise and assurance. “There is unrest in Kashmir and

IS flags are being shown there. Modiji is trying to settle the issue by taking proactive steps. In the hills here, the country’s flag is fluttering but we are not getting justice. I will write to the PM and remind him about the dreams of the Gorkhas and his assurances,” the GJM president said.