Bimal Gurung to appear in public on October 30

TNN, DARJEELING: Beleaguered GJM president Bimal Gurung on Thursday said he will appear before people on October 30 and urged them to turn out in large numbers for it.

Gurung, who had slipped out of public view after the June 15 police raid on his Patlebas home, spoke to reporters over phone from an undisclosed location. He said people wanted him to come out in the open and he would do so on October 30. But he refrained from giving specific details.

Considerably weakened by a spate of defections to the Binay Tamang-led rebel camp, Gurung is facing no less than three UAPA charges and has a lookout notice against him.

Gurung lauded the Centre for its decision to form a high-level committee to engage with all stakeholders to find a solution to the vexed Gorkhaland issue. "I have read about it in media and I hope to receive something in writing from them soon. This is the culmination of people's sacrifice and struggle for the Gorkhaland cause," he said.

The GJM leader issued a 10-day ultimatum to Tamang to provide proof of his allegations that Gurung and his aides were trying to kill him. "I will file a case against him if he fails to do so," he said.

Gurung's statement curiously coincides with GJM-affiliated Janmukti Aasthayi Karmachari Sangathan (JAKS), a body of GTA casual workers, reaffirming its allegiance to the Tamang camp. The entire central committee of the body resigned to give shape to a new one.

New JAKS general secretary Deo Prakash Khawas said the new committee had been formed under the directions of Tamang, who now heads GTA as chairperson of its board of administrators (BoA). Sources indicated this gave Tamang near-total control of GTA after his camp gained control over Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong municipalities.

Addressing a separate press conference in Kalimpong, Tamang too welcomed the Centre's proposed move. "After I was made the GJM chief coordinator, I first wrote to the Centre on September 3. After being made the GTA BoA chairperson on October 10, I wrote to the Centre and also to the Union home secretary. It is due to these three letters that the Centre is forming the committee," he said.