Hill leaders in rare candour

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 19 Oct 2019,  Darjeeling: Leaders found themselves on the people's dock, a rare sight in hill politics, and displayed unusual candour.

Amar Lama, bureau member of the Jana Andolan Party; B.P. Bajgain, spokesman of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Bimal Gurung camp); Ajoy Edwards, president of the GNLF Darjeeling branch committee; and Keshav Raj Pokhrel, assistant secretary of the Morcha (Binay Tamang camp) were joined by apolitical Vimal Khawash, associate professor, Sikkim University, in a panel discussion organised by the Mukh Bandh Kaam Suru Trust on the second day of panel discussions.

Most were candid in their talk, at times going to the extent of questioning their own party.

Amar Lama did not hesitate to describe the hill politicians as an "unsuccessful lot". "I think we all are an unsuccessful lot, the youths have to come forward and take charge," he said, reflecting on the failure of the statehood movement in hills.

"Gorkhaland can only be achieved when the issue is above vote-bank politics, when it is not used as a medium to grab power," said Pokhrel. "We need a sanyasi (a leader who is fully devoted to the issue), only then can the demand be fulfilled," the Binay camp leader added. "Let us be the saint, the sanyasi, that you are talking, let us discard GTA and unite for a cause," said the GNLF's Edwards.

The GNLF leader, however, did not shy away from criticising the "culture" that allegedly seeped into the hills after the 1986 agitation started by his party.

"Because of the 1986 agitation, a whole generation was lost and this is why I was against the 104-day strike," said Edwards who mentioned that he was forced to stay away from the hills for five years after Bimal Gurung came to power. The GNLF is in alliance with Bimal Gurung's group.

Bajgain said that it was important to ponder whether "outside forces against Gorkhaland were instigating violence during agitations", and added that after Gurung was forced to stay outside Darjeeling he was now involved in establishing "diplomatic links for the statehood cause".

Khawash was upfront in his observation and said that the hill parties were confusing the public. "You (GNLF) talk about the Sixth Schedule, you (JAP) talk about merger, why aren't you (BJP and Bimal camp) revealing your permanent political solution and some of you (Binay camp) are only talking about development," Khawash said.