Harka slams state's 'undemocratic moves'

SNS, Kalimpong 8 December 2017: The All India Jan Andolan Party (JAP) president, Harka Bahadur Chettri, has alleged that the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) is slowly taking away people's aspirations of Gorkhaland by supporting what he called the undemocratic moves" of the state government.

Mr Chettri further rued the meeting held for the resurrection of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and said that the development happened only in the presence of the Binay faction of the Morcha, while "other parties were only consulted for approval later."

"The revival of the GTA and the formation of the Hill Area Development Committee was the final thing in the state government's divide and-rule policy in the Hills," a shaven- headed Mr Chettti told a press meet here today.

It may be mentioned that top JAP leaders, including those of the youth wing, have tonsured their heads as a mark of protest against the government's act of opting for interim settlements and not a state of Gorkhaland.

"Democracy may be in peril if chosen representatives of municipalities are manipulated and made to join their faction by threatening them with arrests and police cases," Mr Chettri said.

"Here in Kalimpong, the vice-chairman of the GTA board, Anit Thapa, had announced that his faction would form a board in the municipality. I don't understand the logic of reshuffling the existing board without the consent of the public, who voted them. What is the need of do in this in a democracy?" Dr Chettri added.

He alleged that the state government has done all undemocratic tasks" to destroy the harmony in the Hills. "We have never seen such kind of a democracy in any part of India, he said.

Slamming the administration's leniency towards the Binay faction of the Morcha, the JAP leader said that they were allowed to use loudspeakers in different parts of the town and call a public meeting at the Motor stand, but other parties were not allowed to even make announcements through loudspeakers in the town.