Gorkhaland issue makes a comeback amid Lok Sabha polls

Political parties are misleading people with the Gorkhaland issue just to get votes,” stated Anit Thapa, president, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM). 

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 18 Apr 2024, Darjeeling: “Gorkhaland is not an issue of a particular political party. It is an issue involving the entire Gorkha community. I too spent six months in jail for Gorkhaland. 

Political parties are misleading people with the Gorkhaland issue just to get votes,” stated Anit Thapa, president, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM). As the Darjeeling Hills are all set to go to polls along with the rest of the country, the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland, has also made a comeback. In each and every election from civic, rural, Assembly and Parliamentary elections, narratives revolving around the “Gorkhaland” issue in some form or the other occupies centre stage. 

Anit Thapa on Wednesday addressed an election campaign in Sukna in the foothills of the district. “In elections, political outfits take part, it is not that the whole community is taking part. However just to mislead us, the community issue is molded into a poll issue for narrow political gains. 

The issue of Gorkhaland is thereby being auctioned. The BGPM does not adhere to such politics of deceit,” added Thapa. Meanwhile, Raju Bista, BJP MP from Darjeeling who is contesting for the second term has kept the “Gorkhaland” issue alive in his campaigns. 

Though not spelling things out clearly, Bista in a campaign in Gorubathan, stated: “There is one leader who kills people as soon as the word “Gorkhaland” is uttered and there is another who is saying I will give, just wait. I am willing to wait.” 

Prime Minister Modi in a campaign in Siliguri stated that the solution to the Gorkha issue is near. Riding piggyback on the Gorkhaland demand, the BJP had made its appearance in Bengal. 

In 2009 Jaswant Singh, BJP heavy weight candidate, had won the Lok Sabha election, backed by Bimal Gurung and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, riding the Gorkhaland wave. This was the lone seat that the BJP had won in Bengal. Since then the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat has been in the grip of the BJP with assurances of resolving the Gorkha impasse. 

S S Ahluwalia won the seat in 2014 followed by Raju Bista in 2019. BJP MLA from Kurseong, BP Sharma, has revolted against the party and is contesting as an Independent candidate this Lok Sabha election from Darjeeling for “Gorkhaland.” 

“I will fight for a separate state. Thrice we voted for BJP candidates from outside. They did nothing but put a lid on our aspirations,” alleged Sharma. 

Meanwhile, Ajoy Edwards, of Hamro Party, a constituent of INDIA Bloc stated: “This time also Raju Bista will again collect all the votes in the name of Gorkhaland and disappear.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/gorkhaland-issue-makes-a-comeback-amid-lok-sabha-polls-560450