CM flayed for GTA stance

CM flayed for GTA stance

Anti-gorkhaland parties to launch agitation today

statesman news service

SILIGURI, 24 MARCH: An 11-party anti-GJMM conglomeration has decided to launch an agitation tomorrow, saying the Mamata Banerjee government has “all but bowed down before the GJMM’s pressure tactics”.

The senior Marxist leader from Siliguri, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, said the state government’s softened stance toward the GJMM’s demand to include 400 moujas across Terai-Dooars region under the GTA, would land the region in ethnic distemper.

At a meeting in Kolkata between a GJMM delegation and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, it was decided that the GTA election would be held in June or early July after the committee chaired by retired justice Shymal Sen submits its report on the land issue to the state government.

The GJMM is understood to have promised it would participate in the GTA election irrespective of the contents of the report. Observers are of the view that the state government will agree to include at least some of the moujas being demanded by the GJMM to keep the party in good humour.  

ABAVP state president Birsa Tirkey today said his outfit would launch a movement tomorrow to resist any attempt by the Sen Committee to include additional areas from the plains in the GTA territory.

“The ABAVP has convened a people’s congregation at Nagrakata in the Dooars tomorrow to start a mass-mobilisation programme against a possible land understanding between the state government and the GJMM,” Mr Tirkey said.

“We would resist any such attempt with every means at our disposal. The Adivasis would not hesitate to sacrifice ourselves as part of a non-violent agitation to keep the sanctity of the lands they have been inhabiting for generations,” he said.

Kamtapur Progressive Party president Atul Roy said his party would meet at Nagrakata tomorrow to finalise its plans.

“We still stick to the proposed bandh the 11-party conglomeration has convened in the Terai-Dooars on 6 and 7 April,” Mr Roy said. “We will not allow the state government to gift lands from the multi-ethnic region to the GJMM on a silver platter.” Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee president Mukunda Majumder said any decision to include lands from the plains would bring the region to a boil.

“The state government is playing with fire,” Mr Majumdar said. “We will convene a bandh on 7 April to help the people to articulate their anger against the state government having buckled down before the GJMM’s land pressure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Terai-Dooars unit of the Haji Mohammad Mahasin Muslim Unnayan Samity demanded minority representation in case additional lands are included into the GTA territory. “We will meet in Siliguri on 8 April to forcefully raise the demand,” said the outfit’s spokesperson, Mr Nasirruddin Ahmed.