Prakash Gurung tenders resignation from GTA

Amitava Banerjee, MP| 14 March 2017 | Darjeeling: Prakash Gurung, elected member (Sabhasad) of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) tendered his resignation from the GTA and has given a call for Gorkhaland. Gurung who is also the President of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha (GJYM — youth wing of the Gorkha Jamnukti Morcha) has given a clarion call to other youth leaders to resign from their elected posts and join the agitation. 

The decision was taken in a GJYM meeting in Mirik on Tuesday, following which, the hand-written resignation was sent to the Chairman, GTA and a copy of the same to Bimal Gurung, Chief Executive Member, GTA. Prakash Gurung had been elected from the Rimbic Lodhama constituency in 2013. 

The tenure of the present GTA board expires in the first week of August 2017. When questioned on the reasons for his sudden resignation, Prakash Gurung stated: "Autonomous bodies cannot run under the Bengal government. The government had not allowed the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council to function. The fate of the GTA is similar. The government has tried to render the GTA toothless in order to prove it a failure. The state government is yet to transfer many departments to the GTA. The state has created community-based development boards in order to dilute the demand for Gorkhaland. In protest and to take up the demand for Gorkhaland, I have tendered my resignation," stated Gurung. 

The youth leader feels that situation is ripe for Gorkhaland in Delhi. "The BJP-led NDA government is at the Centre. We are an ally of the BJP and NDA. We could launch a movement on the lines of Telangana to achieve Gorkhaland. I appeal to all youth leaders to resign from elected posts and join in the Gorkhaland movement," stated Prakash Gurung. 

The other youth leaders who are the elected members of GTA are Dawa Lepcha, Dipen Maley, Arun Ghising and Nima Tamang.