The malleable nature of politicians and politics in the hills

SANDIP C. JAIN, EOI, 18 JANUARY 2023: As a child, one of the most interesting programmes that I had watched on the television was a cartoon titled ‘Plastic Man.’ So flexible was he that he could and would do anything to fight all the evil forces in this world. As a child I wanted to become ‘Plastic Man’ once I would become an adult. For me ‘Plasticman’ was the most flexible person that there ever was. 

Now as an adult and most specifically a journalist I have come to realize the fact that there are persons more flexible than ‘Plastic Man’ among our own hill politicians. The morals and principles of a certain section of politicians from the Hills of Darjeeling have become so flexible that even ‘Plastic Man’ would be put to shame. 

Such is the state of politics in the hills that the common man now finds it difficult even if just to follow the basics of the unfolding political drama. 

Who is today with the Trinamool Congress camp could be with the BJP bandwagon within the next few hours and who was with the right wing BJP now could be its worst critic by tomorrow morning, having joined hands with the ruling political dispensation at the State-level in West Bengal.

With recent political enemies Bimal Gurung, Binay Tamang and Ajoy Edward now forming a political grouping which is looking to take on the ruling parties at the State and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration level, the dynamics of hill politics once again seems to be moving towards troubled times.

This group, which till recently was aligning towards the Trinamool Congress, now seems to be tilting towards the BJP. Of course the grand old party of the hills Gorkha National Liberation Front already has since several years been a close ally of the BJP, having fought several elections with them together. 

With the growing influence of the BJP in the Darjeeling hills, politics is no longer the same as it was in earlier times. Each new election, whether at the State-level or at the national-level, sees a fresh slew of election promises by the BJP led coalition which keeps getting repeated before every subsequent elections, The promises, of course, are never fulfilled. 

The promise of a separate State, the promise for a Union Territory, the promises for tribal status for 11 hill communities, the promises for a Central University, the promises for a super- specialty medical facility, have been repeated so often before every election that now no one even take these promises seriously. In fact these have become a topic of laughter amongst the hill public.

This time besides the old promises the new carrot that is being dangled before the hill people in hushed talks is the creation of a separate State or Union Territory; and the name doing the rounds for the same is Simanchal Pradesh. The talk is that three districts of north east Bihar, five districts of north Bengal and one district of Assam may be clubbed together to form this new administrative set-up.

If and when this comes into being, another round of political chaos is definite; especially in the hills, considering the fact that the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland will be trampled down forever. For the Gorkhas and hill residents, their dream for a separate state of their own will die an unnatural death.

The ruling Trinamool Congress and its ally in the hills, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha led by the GTA Chairperson Anit Thapa, of course, have the most to lose if at all Simanchal Pradesh comes into existence. Their hard earned victory in the last GTA elections will all be in vain. 

The GTA itself seems to be floundering on all counts, mainly due to the dearth of funds at its disposal. The State Government seems to have strangled the funding pipeline to the GTA and in effect all developmental and infrastructural projects seems tohave come to a grinding halt. This of course is already causing the common people to lose the last vestige of hope and faith that they had on the GTA. 

If funding is not restored immediately, the Trinamool and BGPM stand to lose both the support of the common people as well as party cadres; many of whom are in any case flexible in their principles and morals like their leaders.

The new closeness between Bimal Gurung, Binay Tamang, Ajoy Edward and others could be related to the talk about Simanchal Pradesh; with each of them hoping to get a bigger role in the new scheme of things. They of course must realize that they will be hammering in the last nails in the Gorkhaland coffin if they really are party to the creation of Seemanchal Pradesh. The coming months will see the hill Politics hotting up once again and peace once again seems to be the first casualty.But then the hills have become used to such drama before every general election. 

It is high time that the directors of these dramas abandon their short term selfish visions and concentrate of a permanent solution which will see everlasting peace and development to these beautiful hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. (The writer of this article is the Editor of Himalayan Times, Kalimpong)