GJM lifts hunger strike to pave way for talks

TNN, 15 August 2017, DARJEELING/KOLKATA: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Monday lifted its month-long hunger strike in the Hills following Union home minister Rajnath Singh's appeal for dialogue, sending out a clear signal that the party was amenable to talks — even with the state government — to get out of the corner into which it may have pushed itself.

But the unmistakable signal coming from Hills residents, who have now endured two months of the "indefinite shutdown", seems to be at complete variance from that of the political parties that claim to represent them. The GJM in particular and Hills parties in general may be looking desperately for a face-saver to call off the shutdown, especially after being subjected to the Union home minister's repeated reminders about Darjeeling's "locational sensitivity", but residents are clear that nothing short of a separate Gorkhaland state will satisfy them this time. Many have said they are fed up with "annual strikes" that do not achieve anything.

This has forced some amount of tightrope-walking from politicians. The GJM on Monday was forced to say it would "allow normal movement" in the Hills for Independence Day and declare there would be no picketing on roads, the decision being in obvious deference to the Union home minister's hectoring. Singh, during his Sunday talk with the GJM and other Hills parties, appealed to them to call off the indefinite strike in national interest, considering Darjeeling's strategic location.

But the party had to stop well short of withdrawing the indefinite shutdown in obvious deference to the general mood among Hills people and say, in as many words, that the lifting of the hunger strike should not be seen as a climbdown.

Darjeeling student Niraj Pradhan articulated this hardening of the public mood. "The Gorkhland stir is a serious issue and not an annual affair. I don't want the generation after me to be forced to raise the demand for a separate state. We don't want our leaders to let us down. They will have to face people's wrath if they do that," he said.

What the GJM leadership said on Monday reflected this dilemma. "The home minister's appeal should be respected and the hunger strike by the Yuva Morcha should be lifted as a first step towards achieving our goal of Gorkhaland on the eve of Independence Day," a press communique from GJM president Bimal Gurung read. "But the indefinite strike will continue," GJM leader Mahendra Tamang said, "though GJM supporters will not man the pickets at various points on Independence Day."

The desperation among Hills politicians — for some face-saver to call off the strike so that they could showcase some "achievement" to their supporters — was more evident in what GJM general secretary Roshan Giri had to say. Asked whether the GJM or the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee was willing to talk to the Mamata Banerjee government, Giri said: "Has the state government given any specific date for talks?"

State tourism minister and Trinamool leader Gautam Deb offered no such face-saver on Monday. "I have come to know that the GJM has called off the hunger strike. Our chief minister has already said that she has no problem talking to all the Hills parties. But they have to shun violence. The state government called a Hills parties' meeting on June 22 to discuss the situation but they didn't turn up," the tourism minister said.