UGA delegation demands Central forces in Darjeeling hills for panchayat polls and thereafter

 Custodians of democracy must not ring its death-knell, says Bengal Governor

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI, JUNE 29/, 2023 : Even as BJP M.P. of Darjeeling Raju Bista on Thursday led a delegation of the United Gorkha Alliance to Governor of West Bengal C. V. Ananda  Bose, apprising him about the law and order situation in the hill regions of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in relation to the ongoing panchayat elections, the Governor sent out a strong message to the State administration, saying the custodians of democracy should not ring the “death knell of democracy.

”The delegation comprising UGA alliance partners like the JP, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Gorkha National Liberation Front and Hamro Party met the Governor in the Circuit House in Siliguri and submitted a memorandum  demanding  the deployment of Central forces not only during the panchayat polls but also after the election in view of possible post-poll violence in the hills. 

The delegation led by Bista  informed  the  Governor about  the  alleged  threat  and nuisance resorted to by the ruling dispensation in the hills during the filing of nominations in many areas. 

After the meeting with the Governor, Raju Bista said: “I apprised the Governor of the fact that those who had filed nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat election, the proposers of their names, and their family members were facing massive pressure from goons affiliated to Trinamool Congress and their alliance partner Bharatiya Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to withdraw their names, or join their party. 

”The BJP M.P. said: “Since ours is a hilly region with in adequate road and communications network, the news from rural regions take days to filter out.

Taking advantage of the lack of grassroots democracy in the region, Trinamool Congress and their local alliance partner BGPM operatives have been going around threatening citizens, candidates and their family members of dire consequences, if they don't vote for them, join the Trinamool Congress Alliance or withdraw their nominations.

Earlier too, opposition leaders have been threatened. All these, while the Police and  district administration have not taken any action against the perpetrators.

”The Governor who held a meeting with representatives of several political parties at theSiliguri Circuit House described the current situation in the poll-bound state as "very very disturbing". 

"The death knell of democracy must not ring in the hands of  its custodian. We must take care of that," Bose said. The Governor said he would continue visiting the areas witnessing violence to have first-hand knowledge of what is happening. 

"What is happening in the field is very very disturbing. That is what the court has reflected in its various pronouncements and observations. We will certainly see that the  present trend is reversed and there is peace and harmony in society,” the Governor said. 

“Every citizen will be able to cast his vote freely and fearlessly-- that is a commitment and we are trying to take it forward. I am going to the field. I like to have a feel of the field," he added.

Bose, who is on a short trip to the northern districts of the state, said "I am the ground   zero Governor. I went to different places for my satisfaction. I spoke to the victims".

Representatives of political parties complained to the Governor that in the Chopra block under the North Dinajpur District, a part of the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, opposition party candidates were not allowed to leave their homes to fill in their nomination papers.

The BDO office was taken over by Trinamool supporters, and opposition candidates trying to file nomination papers were shot at and killed. 

“Murder of opposition candidates, burning down of BJP offices, and homes of our supporters are happening in many parts of north Bengal, and no action has been taken by the administration,” Bista said.