Kolkata, June 13
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), demanding a separate Gorkhaland, has sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in “protecting the hill people’s interests in Darjeeling against the dictatorship of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the CPM onslaught”.
GJM president Bimal Gurung today turned down Bhattacharjee’s invitation to attend a meeting on June 18. Gurung said, “We will not participate in the meeting. We advocated a tripartite meeting involving the Centre, the state government and the GJM.Since, it is not a tripartite meeting, the question of taking part does not arise.”
Gurung alleged that they had no faith and confidence in the CPM government, which had been playing dirty politics at the cost of the Darjeeling people. He argued that only with the formation of a separate statehood, the “neglected hills would be developed and the hill people’s problems be solved”.
The GJM also sent a similar letter to Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and home minister Shivraj Patil.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already advised the Chief Minister to hold talks with the GJM and other political parties for resolving the dispute.
Meanwhile, the GJM has temporarily called off strike till Monday for the convenience of the people. GJM secretary Roshan Giri said their strike would be resumed on Tuesday after reviewing the situation.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee also rejected the Chief Minister’s invitation for attending the all-party meeting to be held on June 17 since the aggrieved GJM had not been invited to the meeting.
The Forward Bloc and the RSP, the two main partners of the Left Front, also criticised the Chief Minister’s calling an all-party meeting on the Darjeeling issue without inviting the GJM.
Though no untoward incident occurred in Darjeeling and elsewhere today, the paramilitary forces continued their usual flag marches in the vulnerable areas. There was a smooth flow of vehicular traffic between Siliguri and Darjeeling. Buses and taxis also plied for carrying the stranded tourists and others from Darjeeling and Gangtok.
