Kalimpong GJM leader backs Tamang group

SNS, KALIMPONG,6 October 2017: Former sabhasad of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) Samuel Gurung today proclaimed himself as one of the six general secretaries of the party.

While he told a press conference here that he would be speaking as a member of the parity chief Bimal Gurung's faction of the GJMM, he also threw his  weight behind rebel leader Binay Tamang.

The former sabhasad of the No 44 constituency in Kalimpong district further said that people's hopes with which they launched this fresh Gorkhaland agitation seemed to have died. ''This could be because of the failure of the leadership," he said.

According to Mr Gurung, six party general secretaries have been nominated in the central committee, where he was yesterday recommend by the Kalimpong District Committee.

He said he will be joining the Tamang faction so as to support the "aspirations" of the Gorkhas. "I believe that the road to statehood is clear only through dialogues," he said. He also affirmed that he would remain in the GJMM and work in a non-violent manner.

He said that the new administrative setup at the GTA will help initiate dialogue in the near futures. 'The GTA had a full house that could have been used as a weapon to lead our agitation for Gorkhaland, but to use it as we failed to use it as we failed to understand the value of the weapon (GTA)," he said, adding that the  GTA can now be used as a weapon.

On the assault of a BJP team led by state party president Dilip Ghosh in Darjeeling yesterday, Mr Gurung said that the "public's reaction was not personal, but it was people's aggression.'

"Whatever happened yesterday was because of the BJP's weakness. They said they were here to carry out a survey. Why would politicians come for a survey when we have our own MP who has to do all these? Moreover, when we were caught in a deadlock for 104 days, no one from the BJP stood with us in solidarity; no one spoke words of sympathy; this is just a result of their mistake, this is just people's aggression, he said.

In Kurseong, all municipal councilors of the Kurseong Municipality extended their support to rebel leader Anit Thapa today. They voiced their support for Mr Thapa in the presence of Binay Tamang.