Blow to Bimal as top aide leaves party- Tilak Chand Roka says he won't remain in party that supports TMC

SNS, DARJEELING. 18 JANUARY 21: An active central committee leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (Bimal Gurung camp), Tilak Chand Roka, today announced his resignation from the party, citing differences in political ideology Mr Roka, who was also the Darjeeling sub-division coordinator of the party and who held different major posts in the party in the past, further said that he could not be part of a political party that supports the Trinamul Congress.

"Our political ideology does not match, which I have verbally informed the party president, Bimal Gurung. I have been on the streets during the agitation in 2017 and have seen atrocities of the Bengal government, like a person being martyred right in front of me. It hurts to think of them and my mind does not agree in making such a government victorious again," said Mr Roka, who was also the former Sabashad of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) from the (Chungthubg Maribung constituency).

"After I came out of jai1,I had already promised that I would be with the party until our brothers and sisters who were displaced, return. I had also told them in an earlier meeting that I would work for the party, but would not ask for votes for the ruling party (TMC) or vote for them," he added.

Mr Roka was in jail for around nine months in 2017, with him maintaining that he had around 149 cases against him. According to him, Mr Gurung has around 114 cases against him.

"We tolerated atrocities of a party (TMC) for about eight years, with the Gorkhas all over the world contributing against them, but for once the party did not think about them and their sacrifices. I understand that they were out of their homes, but that does not mean they should have raised their hands and come back. If they were in such a hurry to come back they should have surrendered as they would have been released after some months. If I could work for our issues and our party after being freed, they could have done the same without having to make such compromises now," he said, adding that many other unit leaders had also done the same.

He was referring to Mr Gurung's decision to support the TMC in the upcoming Assembly elections and return home after over three of hiding after the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation.

Roka said that he would remain in politics and would join "some party," but had not thought of joining any party at the moment.

Asked about the BJP, he said, "I have never said that the BJP has betrayed us as it is a matter of discussion. However, after going through such a long struggle they should have continued it as the BJP had never said they would not fulfill our demands. Bringing the people halfway without getting anything concrete was not right.I have full faith that be it the BJP or the Congress or the ruling party, they will meet our demands in the end."

The leader also said that he was against the Binoy Tamang faction of the Morcha and that he would remain to do so.

When contacted, Morcha (Gurung camp) leader Roshan Giri said, "It is his personal thought, and we do not want to comment on it right now. Our president will later issue a statement in that regard."

(Courtesy & source- The Statesman- https://epaper.thestatesman.com/c/57827716)