Agitation in hills uplifts spirits of Gorkhas scattered in the country

Agitation in hills uplifts spirits of Gorkhas scattered in the country

Vivek Ghatani

Siliguri August 14: Thirty-two years of Left Front rule and almost five years of Trinamool regime in Bengal may have overlooked things but the burning issue of Gorkhaland, a demand that has attained over 100 years, in the present situation is spreading like a wild fire. Even as the state government is hell bent to prove a point those politicians or for that matter the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) is forcing bandhs to the people, the success of the unique ‘Janta curfew’ has left many bewildered.

The revival of the agitation, despite settling for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), has in reality charged the hill people once again to support the cause for a separate state. At one point of time when the GJM settled for the autonomous body the hill people felt that they had been laid down and that their aspiration had been jolted.

As the hills plunged into second day observing the ‘Janta curfew’ an order from the state government that a salary deduction would be enforced to the employees who did not attend duties from August 3 because of the indefinite bandh called by the Morcha did not deter the employees. “The cause for which the bandh was called is important. The pay cut order itself is a move that shows the apartheid of the state government to the hill people. I don’t mind the pay cut rather it is my contribution to the ongoing agitation,” a government employee told Himalayan Mirror.

If the hill people are charged up, equally the Gorkhas scattered in the country is tossing up for the demand in their own way. A press communiqué issued by the Delhi unit of the GJM on Wednesday said that Gorkha students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) stuck posters in the varsity, a daring effort in the history of Gorkhaland agitation. “They are likely to organize a meeting at JNU inviting MP Lama, Munish Tamang other team of intellectuals and probably representatives of GJM Delhi,” said Ranjan Sharma, the secretary of the unit.

The poster (a copy of which is in possession with the Himalayan Mirror) reads, “Why is it that only the marginalized and oppressed communities in the Republic of India have to give proof of their loyalty towards the nation? Why this red herring of national security is raised every time to vilify/delegitimize genuine democratic aspirations of the people in the country? What constitutes this national security which in its wisdom never accepts genuine aspirations of the people? Whose national security they are talking about?”

In the Dooars area where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) unit is waiting for a green signal to start the agitation is charged up. On Wednesday GJM supporters in the Nepali pockets were seen rallying though in small numbers thus indicating that the Nepali speaking people in the region has not lost faith despite their areas not being included in the GTA.