TMC charts hill revival plan .... Party sees chance after SC blow to Bimal

Shubhamoy Chatterjee (centre) in Darjeeling on Monday

Vivek Chhetri, TT,  Mar 19, 2018, Darjeeling: Trinamul has decided to renew political activities in the hills following a directive from the leadership which believes normality has returned to the region.

The immediate reason is last week's Supreme Court judgment which rejected charges of bias in the probes against Bimal Gurung, cornering the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader further while he remains in hiding.

Shubhamoy Chatterjee, working president of Trinamul (hills), said on Monday: "Given the (turbulent) situation in the hills (earlier), we had been directed by the party leadership to remain inactive. We have now received directions from Calcutta to renew political activities in the hills afresh."

Trinamul had suffered as most of its supporters and many leaders resigned during the statehood agitation last year, preferring to lie low for 10 months.

The TMC leadership has, however, repeatedly stressed that it is not looking to expand its base at the cost of the hill-based Morcha or the Gorkha National Liberation Front.

Both parties are now working closely with chief minister and Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee.

"We would like to stress that we will not work against the interests of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration or the Hill Area Development Committee (HADC). We will not look at expanding our base at the cost of GJM or GNLF," Chatterjee said.

The GTA is headed by Gurung's Morcha rival Binay Tamang while HADC is headed by GNLF president Maan Ghisngh.

Trinamul has formed a five-member core committee in Darjeeling. "This committee will take up issues with the GTA and HADC. Since, I am a member of HADC, we have decided in a recent meeting that the ratio of work distribution through HADC will be 9:1 between GNLF and TMC," said Chatterjee.

Trinamul has convened a meeting in Darjeeling on March 22 to discuss the next course of action.

TMC leadership had a few months back replaced Rajen Mukhia with L.B. Rai, chairman of Mirik municipality, as the party's president. "Our basic objective is to ensure clean politics in the hills and also to work for peace and development," said Chatterjee.

The party's affairs will be handled by Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP, Shanta Chhetri and Migma Bhutia in Kurseong and by Chewang Bhutia in Kalimpong.


MP, Darjeeling: After a long hibernation, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is all set to revive political activities in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills. 

"The Hills were passing through a very violent and difficult phase. However, with peace and stability returning to the Hills, we have been instructed by the party high command to renew political activities in the Hills," stated Shubhomoy Chatterjee, working president, TMC (Hills). 

He further suggested that as political parties cannot hibernate for long and as peace and normality have returned, this decision was taken.

The TMC will be holding a general meeting at the GDNS Hall on March 22 in Darjeeling. 

"We will chalk out our future course of action in this meeting," stated Chatterjee. However, the TMC has decided on a guarded approach as of now, not to disturb the newfound peace and normality of the Hills. 

"We extend full cooperation to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration run by a board of administrators and the Hill Area Development Authority. In no way will we go into any confrontation with them or any other political party of the Hills," stated Chatterjee.

The no confrontation policy will be followed to such a degree, that defectors from other political parties wanting to join Trinamool Congress will be examined and then a decision will be taken on whether they will be allowed to join or not, in order to not rub the other Hill political parties the wrong way.


Such a guarded approach is being adhered to by TMC in order to maintain the fragile political balance in the Hills. 

The leadership of both the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Gorkha National Liberation Front at present enjoy a cordial relation with the TMC-run state government, which has resulted in the peace and normality that the Hills are enjoying at present. 

The TMC high command, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee, would under no condition want this peace to be disturbed, or the fragile political balance to be disrupted, feel political commentators. 

"A revamped core committee has been formed to overlook the activities of the party in the Hills" added Chatterjee.