GMCC 'lost' in 'directionless' Hill stir?

MANAS R BANNERJEE, SILIGURI,18 AUGUST 2017: As common people in the hills look forward to a 'positive decision' that may come at any time from the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) to bring back normalcy after requests made by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, political leaders of different parties have said they do not have specific information on the committee's activities and the whereabouts of its members.

Some leaders have also started saying that the agitation that has crossed the two-month mark has now become `directionless.'

Notably, after a meeting between GMCC members and the home ministers in Delhi on 13 August, Jan Andolan Party (JAP) president Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri had said that the GMCC should review the kind of movement it has headed in thee last two months. He had said that the GMCC needs to formulate a proper action plan for a non-violent movement for Gorkhaland.

Hill leaders were upset after Mr Singh asked the GMCC members to knock the doors of the West Bengal government and requested them to bring back normalcy in the Hills by calling off the fast-unto-death protest and the indefinite shutdown.

However,  very significantly, political leaders do not have information on the GMCC and its activities.

`The Gorkhaland agitation in the Hills is now directionless, Nobody knows about the GMCC and the whereabouts of its members.' Gorkha National Liberation Front (GOLF) general secretary Mahendra Chhetri said.

On the other hand, the secretaty of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM)- backed Darjeeling Terai Dooars Tea Plantation Labour Union (DTDTPLU), Suraj Subba, said he too did not have information on the GMCC and whatever it is planning or doing about the indefinite shutdown in the Hills.

"I have not yet received any information on the withdrawal of the ongoing indefinite agitation, either from the GMCC or the GJMM. A rumour is being spread across the Hills that the tea plantations will open from Monday"

 Sources said daily rated tea workers are frustrated, given the 'no work no pay' system, while many workers in Kurseong areas have started working voluntarily and are taking care of tea bushes.

"The agitation will not go on forever. Tea gardens have to reopen one fine day," Mr Subba said, adding, "Workers in association with non-government organizations, have started contributing labour as social service in a few tea plantations. Local leaders agreed to allow the workers by seeking permission from us."

Mr Subba further said that there are three types of rumours spreading in the Hills at present-"Tea plantations will open from Monday; the decision to open the plantations was taken after the City Court discharged GJMM chief Bimal Gurung (in the Madan Tamang murder case)' and some persons threatened the management of a tea estate to leave the Hills. I have received a minimum of 100 phone calls on the threat call issue, which was just a rumour."

(Source & Courtesy: http://epaper.thestatesman.com/1324205/The-Statesman-Siliguri/19th-August-2017#page/13/1)