Old `secrets' come out in hill campaign
VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 16 May 2019, Darjeeling: The heat of election is known to pop up many unknown trivia. On Wednesday, amidst the hectic campaign for the Darjeeling bypoll, political parties came up with interesting claims that were hitherto out of public discourse.
Meet with Ghisingh In 1996, breakaway CPM leaders in the hills had formed the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists with the sole demand for the creation of Gorkhaland. CPRM positioned itself as an opposition party to the GNLF and went hammer and tongs against Subash Ghisingh.
On Wednesday, Kishore Pradhan, senior CPRM leader, revealed "three senior leaders" had met Ghisingh at his residence and apprised him of their decision to form the CPRM.
"This was out of political courtesy. We wanted to tell him that we wanted him to go ahead with the Gorkhaland demand, even if it meant that he was to lead the movement," said Pradhan.
What was Ghisingh's reply? "`You should have stayed with the CPM', he said," said Pradhan.
BJPbid for talks Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia was largely silent on the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation and did not visit the hills even once during and after the movement.
The Gorkha Rashtriya Congress, which has been advocating the merger of Darjeeling with Sikkim, claimed that Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju had sent an emissary to Sikkim and invited the outfit for talks with him.
The claim was made by Amar Luksom, the GRC's candidate for the Darjeeling Assembly byelection.
"After the Gangtok meeting, we returned to Darjeeling to hold discussions with our leaders on whether to accept the invitation or not," said Bharat Dong, the president of the GRC.
The GRC, according to its coordinator Subodh Pakhrin, was divided on the issue. "Ultimately, we decided not to attend the meeting as the sentiment in the hills was different then. We, however, met the Union home minister, Rajnath Singh, twice after the agitation," said Pakhrin.
GRC leaders were of the opinion that had they accepted the emissary's invitation, it would have resulted in a backlash in the hills.
ABGLfoundation day The ABGL, the oldest political party in the hills, marked its 76th foundation day in a contrasting style on Wednesday.
The party has split into Pratap Khati and Bharati Tamang camps after the 2017 agitation.
While the Bharati camp was holding a public meeting at Chowk Bazar to seek votes for its candidate, Biplov Rai, the Pratap faction urged the hill people not to cast a single vote in favour of Rai.
While the rally was going on at Chowk Bazar, Pratap's camp commemorated the ABGL's foundation day at the party office at Ladenla Road.
S.N. Pradhan, the president, ABGL (Pratap), said: "People should not cast a single vote in favour of Biplov as he has not been fielded by the ABGL. We are supporting the BJP in the byelection just as we had done in the Lok Sabha polls.".
Meet with Ghisingh In 1996, breakaway CPM leaders in the hills had formed the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists with the sole demand for the creation of Gorkhaland. CPRM positioned itself as an opposition party to the GNLF and went hammer and tongs against Subash Ghisingh.
On Wednesday, Kishore Pradhan, senior CPRM leader, revealed "three senior leaders" had met Ghisingh at his residence and apprised him of their decision to form the CPRM.
"This was out of political courtesy. We wanted to tell him that we wanted him to go ahead with the Gorkhaland demand, even if it meant that he was to lead the movement," said Pradhan.
What was Ghisingh's reply? "`You should have stayed with the CPM', he said," said Pradhan.
BJPbid for talks Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia was largely silent on the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation and did not visit the hills even once during and after the movement.
The Gorkha Rashtriya Congress, which has been advocating the merger of Darjeeling with Sikkim, claimed that Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju had sent an emissary to Sikkim and invited the outfit for talks with him.
The claim was made by Amar Luksom, the GRC's candidate for the Darjeeling Assembly byelection.
"After the Gangtok meeting, we returned to Darjeeling to hold discussions with our leaders on whether to accept the invitation or not," said Bharat Dong, the president of the GRC.
The GRC, according to its coordinator Subodh Pakhrin, was divided on the issue. "Ultimately, we decided not to attend the meeting as the sentiment in the hills was different then. We, however, met the Union home minister, Rajnath Singh, twice after the agitation," said Pakhrin.
GRC leaders were of the opinion that had they accepted the emissary's invitation, it would have resulted in a backlash in the hills.
ABGLfoundation day The ABGL, the oldest political party in the hills, marked its 76th foundation day in a contrasting style on Wednesday.
The party has split into Pratap Khati and Bharati Tamang camps after the 2017 agitation.
While the Bharati camp was holding a public meeting at Chowk Bazar to seek votes for its candidate, Biplov Rai, the Pratap faction urged the hill people not to cast a single vote in favour of Rai.
While the rally was going on at Chowk Bazar, Pratap's camp commemorated the ABGL's foundation day at the party office at Ladenla Road.
S.N. Pradhan, the president, ABGL (Pratap), said: "People should not cast a single vote in favour of Biplov as he has not been fielded by the ABGL. We are supporting the BJP in the byelection just as we had done in the Lok Sabha polls.".
0 Response to "Old `secrets' come out in hill campaign "
Post a Comment
Kalimpong News is a non-profit online News of Kalimpong Press Club managed by KalimNews.
Please be decent while commenting and register yourself with your email id.
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.