FROM THE EDITORS DESK

Platoon of forces triggered withdrawal of agitation

Greediness for chair surfaces back in the hills

A week’s time was all for change in stance for such a big issue that has so much sentiments with the hill people. One thing that really resurrects my mind today is the power that the state government has with them.

A platoon of Rapid Action Force (RAF) marched Kalimpong town and the agitation got a flipkart. To believe that the hill party withdrew agitation because of request from the central ministers sounds erratic given that the decision comes after the state government dropped platoons of forces in the hills.

Sincerity has been exposed. The politics for chair in the Darjeeling hills has come back. Or to be specific the trend now is no less than the Subash Ghisingh rule which we faced for 20 odd years. There could have been many ways to make its game work. Sympathy for the thousands government employees who lived with a tension volt of 1000 watt.

It is no surprise that the leaders act on request after announcing a series of agitation that could have made very little impact for a statehood demand. An attack on a TMC leader in absence of top leaders in Kalimpong is an example of undemocratic norms the hill party follows. Again, there could have many ways to tackle opposition voices.

The thought now persists in every mind in the hills whether we should believe the hill party that promised many things initially. No worries the thought ironically will not come out on to the mouths because the fear of anti gorkhaland tag or threat for a boycott is always lingering among us. Ofcourse, it is an easy process for the hill party to keep the voices suppressed that eventually will help them rule hills for another 20 years.

Yes for another 20 years. By then the demand for separate state will attain 125 years old and we will have to celebrate 125 years soon. Time has come for us to tell that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) is the future. Or for that matter the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) was the past. Both could have made the hills better but not till now have we seen the real Darjeeling coming alive with the two set ups.