The nine opposition members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration have once again called for a 12-hour bandh on Thursday (February 23), after suspending their call for the strike on Wednesday citing Class X West Bengal board exams, which are starting on that date.
The protest is against a motion passed in the West Bengal legislative assembly opposing “attempts to divide the state”. Hamro Party’s Ajoy Edwards, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supremo Bimal Gurung, and Binay Tamang have called the bandh. The trio had recently joined hands to renew the demand for Gorkhaland. Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik – now close to the Trinamool Congress – is not supporting this bandh.
“Motion placed and passed yesterday in the Bengal assembly challenged the Indian Constitution, which is very unfortunate. As per Article 3A – the power conferred on Parliament by clause (a) includes the power to form a new state or union territory by uniting a part of any state or union territory to any other state or union territory. We want separation from West Bengal. Let the entire North Bengal stand up and fight against this dictatorial act,” Tamang told News18, adding that pro-Gorkhaland parties will continue to fight for the aspirations of the hill people.
Tamang was once a close aide of Gurung, but then joined the TMC and left the Mamata Banerjee-led party as well. Edwards’ Hamro Party performed well in the elections to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee strongly reacted to the call for a strike. “We will never allow any strike. Our government will not tolerate it. We will not allow any separation. No question of ‘banga bhanga’,” she said.
While a section of the BJP has demanded a separate state for North Bengal, their stand on the Gorkhaland issue is in the grey. Insiders from the TMC said the BJP was playing it from behind by instigating the Gorkhaland emotion to create unrest in hills.
“We don’t support the bandh, but five months ago in the GTA, there was a resolution passed in favour of Gorkhaland and TMC councillors supported it. What does the TMC have to say about that?” asked BJP leader Agnimitra Paul.
The situation in the hills has been peaceful after 2017. In 2017, the compulsory inclusion of Bangla gave impetus to the Gorkhaland Movement spearheaded by Gurung and things took a violent turn. Gurung, who was on the run in the aftermath, returned only to shake hands with the TMC-led West Bengal government. Now, he has once again changed his political stand.
Experts said people wanted peace in the hills but the situation could be different now with the Lok Sabha elections next year.
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