GNLF threatens Opposition
Statesman News Service
DARJEELING, March 10. - A belligerent GNLF today offered a "golden opportunity to the hill youth" for agitation, at the same time warning that "all the security of the state cannot protect the Opposition".
The ruling party, clamouring that their president Mr Subash Ghisingh be made the caretaker of the DGAHC, from today began indoor meetings (deferring to the order for no-microphone during school Board exams) that will eventually cover all the 28 constituencies of the council.
Addressing one such meeting here at Capitol Hall, Mr Dipak Gurung, president, Darjeeling GNLF branch committee, hinted that the time to resume agitation for Gorkhaland had come. "A golden opportunity for the hill youth is opening up - to agitate for Gorkhaland. A Gorkhaland without agitation would be tasteless. The youth have a chance to make history (by agitating)," he said.
Notably, Mr Gurung in his affidavit in the High Court last month had accused "extremists", including Opposition leader, Mr Madan Tamang, of raising the demand for Gorkhaland. He had also affirmed in the affidavit, which was on behalf of Mr Ghisingh too, that the councillors were not one with the extremists on the demand for Gorkhaland.
Mr Gurung today openly threatened the Opposition with violence. "Bengal will not be able to provide enough security to the Opposition. They will be finished within the month of May," he declared.
The party rallied behind Mr Ghisingh, claiming that their president was "100 times more clever than any leader of Bengal." Referring to the tripartite talks among the Centre, state and the DGAHC, Mr Gurung also promised that Mr Ghisingh would "most certainly achieve something or the other by May-June."
Interestingly, the senior party leader noted that the state government cannot amend the DGAHC Act, when the tripartite talks were on. It may be noted that the government is set to amend the Act next week, for setting up a dispensation to run the DGAHC, after the term of its General Council expires on 26 March. Mr Gurung said that there were no changes in the party's bandh plan. The GNLF is planning to hold a bandh, which would last for 93 days, and would be staggered over four months. The first "installment", a 72-hour bandh, is scheduled to start from 16 March.
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Again??? Create history by agitating ?? or re-create a sad and pathetic history of agitation - goondaraj, economic meltdown, taking the area back to the despair of the 80's...
and this is after the hills are finally re-emerging from the sorry past - getting it's act together economically - tourism and related businesses are finally picking up - helped by the fact that other tourist destinations (Nepal, coastal areas) are being avoided right now. Life is back to normal. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and these hill towns no longer bring memories of strikes and curfews and ruined vacations and ruined educations.
I only hope that the populace somehow will reject this new move. It might be naive of me to presume such, but I would think that the local population is not in favor of the present demands of the GNLF. Even if they may be, I do not think that they want to have to experience these unreasonable strikes. But do the people have a voice? With the specter of violence, it is easy to coerce the population into submission.
The call for violence, in the above article, is aimed at the youth. I only hope the youth are not so gullible and stupid as to fall for these rhetorics. The youth should now realise that with such calls, they are just being used... they are being provoked by the rabble-rousing politicians, and all for the vested interests of one power-hungry, selfish, delusional megalomanic and his troupe of sycophantic hanger-ons. This one person who, after 17 years, has nothng to show, and now is in fear of losing his sinecure... and he will if the will of the people do prevail and the democratic process is followed. So hence the threats for an "Agitation". Putting the fear of disrupted lives and economies into the hearts of the hill population. Are we Bihar?? How can they get away by coercing the compliance of the rest of the population.
I just hope that people have had enough of this bull and will not allow this trend towards strikes and violence to materialise.
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