National Gorkhaland Committee urges CM to cancel GTA polls

SNS, SILIGURI, 28 MAY 2022: Reacting to the state government's notification to conduct elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), former Military Secretary of the Indian Army, Lt Gen Shakti Gurung, who is also the Chairman of the National Gorkhaland Committee, has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding cancellation of the polls.

"I have no doubt that an astute-pro people visionary political leader of your stature would opt for a just humanitarian approach towards fulfilling the long standing aspirations and demand of pan India Gorkhas for an early PPS (Permanent Political Solution)," Lt Gen Gurung, PVSM, INSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), said in his email to Miss Banerjee.

"After assessing and understanding the democratic aspirations, need and long standing demand of the Gorkha people, you had very correctly promised a Permanent Political Solution for the Gorkhas of Darjeeling Hills and the nation on 15 December 2020 in Jalpaiguri as also on 20 October 2021 in Kurseong" Mr Gurung has said in the letter.

The letter comes at a time when Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung is on a hunger strike, demanding deferment of the GTA elections MP leader and Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has also appealed to all to go against the GTA elections, showcasing a PPS promised by the Centre and aspirations of the Gorkha people.

On the other hand, Lt Gen Gurung has mentioned in his letter that the first step towards PPS should be a pragmatic meeting between the central government, the state Government, Gorkha MPs and MLAs, pan India Gorkha intellectuals, major Gorkha NGOs and major political parties of Darjeeling Hills and the Dooars.

"Such broad based inclusive representation of Gorkhas is necessary as 16-17 political parties of Darjeeling-Kalimpong districts do not represent the aspirations of the entire Gorkha people pan India," he says.

"As such, you, venerable Madam, have the knowledge, experience, foresight and ability to correctly understand and fathom the true democratic aspirations, need and demand of the Gorkha People of not only Darjeeling Hills but of the entire nation. Being a question of identity of the Indian Gorkha community this has always been for a separate State or a Union Territory of Gorkhaland," Lt Gen Gurung has said.