GJMM not happy with post-quake response

GJMM not happy with post-quake response

5 October 2011

manas ranjan banerjee
SILIGURI, 5 OCT: The GJMM leadership appear disappointed with the ‘enigmatic’ role being played by the Mamata Banerjee (in photo) government since the earthquake struck the Darjeeling Hills in the evening of 18 September. 
“The common people’s expectation from the new government seems to have dashed against the rock-walls of frustration. Save for verbosity, the state government has so far done nothing for the hapless people across the Hills whose houses were flattened or damaged during the trembler. The indifference to their plight has brought home the point that nothing has changed except the colour of the government,” said the GJMM spokesperson and Kalimpong MLA, Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri. 
He said that the level of frustration among the common people kept growing. “The situation may come to a pass when the foundation of goodwill on which the GTA is based might crumble to the ground. Our president, Mr Bimal Gurung (in photo), has echoed the collective frustration several times during the party meetings, saying that it would have been better to carry on with the statehood stir instead of having settled for the tripartite agreement,” the senior GJMM leader said.
“The Centre and the state government have been playing the game of passing the buck to each other instead of announcing assistance for the wretched people who have been grappling with the woes wrought by the quake. We are finding it difficult to explain the state government’s insensitivity to the common people. This is embarrassing to the point of being politically dangerous,” Dr Chhetri said.   
“The state government’s role has remained enigmatic since the calamity struck the Hills. The ministers kept streaming into the Hills and indulging in flamboyant assurances. Yet the net result is a big zero. The state has not taken up the matter with the Centre in earnest. It is proving difficult for us to differentiate the insensitive Marxists from those who have taken up the reins after assuring to provide a people’s friendly government,” the MLA said.