Trinamul Congress-run zilla parishad and district police deny permission for statehood meet

 Denial of permission is being seen as a stern message to organisations espousing cause of statehood from Mamata Banerjee government that is against the division of Bengal

TT Correspondent, Jalpaiguri, 18.11.23: The Trinamul Congress-run zilla parishad and district police in Jalpaiguri have denied permission to an apex body of 28 organisations to hold a public meeting over the demand for a new state.

The denial of permission is being seen as a stern message to the organisations espousing the cause of statehood from the Mamata Banerjee government that is against the division of Bengal. In the past couple of months, such associations, including some political parties which claim to have considerable clout among Rajbanshis, have become active and are vehemently demanding a Kamtapur or a Greater Cooch Behar state.

The Separate State Demand Committee, which claims to have associations from across north Bengal and the neighbouring Assam as constituents, had called for a mega public meeting at Jalpesh Temple ground in the Maynaguri block of the district on November 19.

“The meeting was called to press for a separate Kamtapur state and the recognition of the Kamtapur language by the Centre. We would have also demanded that the central government initiate peace talks with KLO leader Jibon Singha to expedite the process of forming the new state. However, we didn’t get permission,” said Tapati Mallick, the chief convener of the committee.

Since January, Singha, the self-styled chief of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), a proscribed terror outfit, has been in Assam. He had entered Assam in response to calls from the Centre and the BJP government in Assam to join peace talks.

Nikhil Roy, the president of the Kamtapur People’s Party (United), slammed the Bengal government for denying permission for the meeting.

“We were denied permission to hold a democratic activity. This is disappointing. Such attempts to stop us from raising our longstanding demand will not go down well with Rajbanshis,” said Roy.

He claimed though the Jalpesh Temple committee had granted permission for the meeting, the zilla parishad and the police had refused to allow the programme. “We will hold a meeting on November 19 to discuss our future course of action,” added Roy.

Krishna Roy Barman, the sabhadhipati of the zilla parishad, dodged a direct reply. “I was out of station. I will have to check out in the office,” she said.

A senior police officer in the district said the organisers were planning to speak on certain “sensitive” issues which include a demand for peace talks with KLO chief Jibon Singha.

“Public remarks on sensitive issues can lead to repercussions. Even then, certain documents with regard to the spot were sought from them but they couldn’t provide us with same. That is why permission was not granted,” he said.