Gurung apprises Dooars supporters amidst dilemma among leaders

NBSTIMES

Darjeeling February 25: On a day when more than 30 supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) joined the Congress citing reason for step motherly attitude of the GJM leaderships from the hills, Bimal Gurung the party chief admitted that the gap between the GJM leaders from the hills and Dooars-Terai was because of the limited powers the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has over the development of plain areas.

“The gap has cropped up because of the less power the GTA has over development of the Dooars-Terai area. But anytime the issue of Gorkhaland is raised the Dooars-Terai will not be forgotten,” Gurung said in a desperate attempt to bring back the Dooars people into confidence before the hill party relaunches its fresh agitation for separate state. Taking a cue once again at the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee for the latest fiasco Gurung added, “Our leaders from Dooars have joined the TMC because Bannerjee has given them ways to earn by offering them contracts and job. This is just a ploy to win the panchayat polls”.

Gurung had called for a meeting with the leaders and supporters of the GJM from Dooars area at Gymkhana Hall and despite hundreds of supporters coming up to attend the meet most of the Dooars leaders said they were in a dilemma at the moment.

“In the last six months neither the GTA chief Bimal Gurung nor any of the executive members visited the Dooars area. Under such circumstances many political parties have started to take our supporters in confidence with lot of promises. We are presently in a dilemma and have no idea about our future course of action,” said Asok Lama, a leader from Dooars.

“More than Gorkhaland we would like to be a part of the Darjeeling District first,” quipped another leader Shiva Pradhan.

The Morcha leadership in a bid to apprise the Dooars leaders confirmed that the party will joins hands with the JMM and John Barla to fight the panchayat elections. “Strategies are being worked out with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Barla to fight the rural polls. The party would also submit its assessment to the three member fact verification committee coming March for the inclusion of the Dooars-Terai in the GTA,” said Roshan Giri, the Morcha general secretary.