Hill Politics – Why Are We Always Wrong?

Ajambari, Wepen, March 27, 2019: The 2019 general election has been rightly termed by someone as the “Dance of Democracy”. This term is widely used and interpreted in different ways across political spectrum. But for parties in the hills of Darjeeling, the term has literally transcended into a dance festival, which is high on theatrics and manifestation of bad optics.

Why I call it bad optics?

Decoding it bit by bit. The first manifestation of it— the so called grand alliances and the second and important one – finding the people to represent the population, whose identity has been undermined for centuries now.

Talking of the grand alliance — this is two-fold- a division among each other, as Gorkha unity is a thing of the past and the Divide and Rule policy was left for us only by the British.

Talking of the alliance, the first one is of two parties who were once staunch rivals and the other one who fought on contrasting demands for straight 105 days. But who cares? As long as the personal coffers are getting filled, it is a perfect world.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) the Bimal Gurung faction, calling it a coming together for the larger good of the people gave their first performance. The idea of the good of the community, as outlined by the so called leaders is as “redundant” as hill leaders reviving the demand for Gorkhaland, every time the beauty in the coffers started to deplete.

The other alliance of the GJM Binay Tamang faction and Trinamool Congress is class apart as the saying goes—One doesn’t have to go far to find enemies (TMC), you will find it within your homes. This bonhomie is resting on the blood of those who died for the cause of Gorkhaland in 2017 and the families who genuinely believed there was no looking behind. This thick friendship has taken the hills back to 1986-87.

Their theatrics are known to the world importantly to the 15 lakh population of the Darjeeling constituency.

As this alliance theatrics of GNLF and GJM announcing their support to BJP were slowly beginning to seep in, they went on to pull the largest climax.

The climax, which was a mockery of the 15 lakh population. Why I say this because — they had to travel further 1004.1 km east to Manipur to find their MP candidate. They must have either been doped to believe that someone from Manipur could represent the aspirations of the population or they must have been showered with treasures that could buy someone an island in Bali.

History of the 10 years have shown the parachute MP’s (all from BJP) have never been able to understand the culture, expectation and importantly the language of the people—the basic required to connect with the people, this time it’s no different.

This is the time for the voters to give a befitting reply to those, who thought there were no worthy “Gorkha / Nepali” born and brought up in Darjeeling / Kalimpong / Kurseong and surrounding areas to be able to stand in the Lok Sabha and talk. Well we have already seen Raju Bista, while giving his first media byte spoke as if he was the BJP’s CM candidate in Bengal. In all fairness let him have a debate with the Gorkha luminaries, which the so called political parties thought they were not worthy enough.

Let us hear Mr. Bista’s knowledge on Gorkha history and culture. We have already heard the fluent Nepali he speaks (Pun intended)!

It is important for us to think—do we want another Jaswant Singh, SS Ahluwalia?

As I call out this alliance and their theatrics, the other alliance has someone from the hills—Amar Singh Rai (he has a brownie point here). The name certainly sounds familiar, as it is the same person, who is known for swinging wherever the tide of power and money blew. From an MLA of GJM (Bimal Gurung faction) in 2016, defeating the TMC candidate. He is now a TMC candidate from Darjeeling. Such ironies! How can political ideology acquired over years just transform? Political scientists clearly have an important research topic to work on. The factors, which causes people to shift from one party to another in bat of an eyelid.

Mr. Rai can be an important case study here, because in 2017 he was heard shouting—there is only one demand of Gorkhaland and now he represents a party whose leader says—“Bengal can never be divided”. He was on the forefront when the people felt betrayed after 105 days of struggle, hence when the fingers are pointing at the EVM machine, people have to be wise.

As Mehmet Muran Ildan, once remarked – “No owl is afraid of the night, no snake of the swamp and no traitor of the treason.”

It seems it is not over yet. Calling himself “bhumiputra / gorkhaputra” Dr. Harka Bahadur Chhetri is also out to contest as independent. The former MLA and once a close confidant of the GJM (Bimal Gurung), who then launched his own party All India Jana Andolan Party had earlier announced—he is not fighting. Well what got into behind this announcement is beyond my calibre to comprehend. Though to give Mr.Chettri’s background, his party JAP had an alliance with TMC during the assembly election in 2016, which later broke.

The 15 lakh electorate has to make a wise decision this time — do we want another inconspicuous 5 years? Let the leaders without standing by the constitutional right with money. It is time we make an informed choice and not get fooled.

As Lord Byron said – “Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”