Allies test Trinamul with cry for statehood Over the past few days, the parties and organisations to revive their call for separate states

Avijit Sinha, TT, 9 August 2019, Siliguri:  Siliguri: Trinamul is in a fix on finalising its future strategy in north Bengal as some of its tried and tested allies have started advocating separate states, a demand that the Mamata Banerjee government has resisted till now.

Over the past few days -- and particularly after the Centre's decision on Jammu and Kashmir to carve two Union territories out of the state -- these parties and organisations to revive their call for separate states.

On one hand, prominent Rajbanshi faces like Bangshibadan Burman, a leader of Greater Cooch Behar Peoples' Association and Atul Roy, the president of Kamtapur Peoples' Party, have jointly announced formation of a new forum -- Bhumiputra Aikya Mancha -- and have announced that they will resume their movement for the Cooch Behar or Kamtapur state.

Burman is the chairman of the Rajbanshi Development & Cultural Board and Roy is the vice-chairman of the Kamtapuri Bhasa Academy.

Both these bodies were constituted by the state for socio-economic development of the Rajbanshi population who have a good concentration in most districts of north Bengal.

On the other hand, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Binay Tamang has remarked that "in the interest of national security, the BJP must create Gorkhaland" 

Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri, Raju Bista, GNLF and all those who supported the alliance should come clear on their stand and put pressure on the BJP government for a favourable decision on Gorkhaland," Tamang, whose faction of the Morcha is an ally of Trinamul, had said.

As Tamanag ­ since his association with the Trinamul ­ resisted from making such statements, the Trinamul leaders in the hills and also in the districts like Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, are in a fix.

"We really don't know wh- at to do. These leaders (Burman and Roy) are sitting in government posts and speaking about separate states... Their stand on these issues is exactly opposite to that of our party," said a senior Trinamul leader based in Cooch Behar.

As the ruling party leaders cannot brush under the carpet questions that ordinary people are asking about these comments -- the launch of Didi Ke Bolo has made Trinamul leaders answerable to common people -- the leaders are groping for answers.

During the campaign, the leaders have to dodge direct questions from party supporters and even common people on the recent remarks of the two Rajbanshi leaders or that of Tamang.

"It would be wrong to underestimate or ignore their remarks as they have even lined up agitations from the third week of this month. At the same time, we cannot openly pass remarks against them as there is no clear instruction from our state leaders," a Trinamul MLA of Cooch Behar said..