Not only India's North-East, the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir has only buoyed the call for a separate Gorkhaland
The Centre바카라s abolition of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifÂurÂcÂÂation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories have not only plunged India바카라s northerÂnmost region into uncertaiÂnty, its revÂerÂberations are felt elsewhere too. The tremors are being felt a thousand miles away in the Darjeeling hills of West BenÂÂgal, where a new demand for turning the area into a Union territory is raised by Gorkhaland agitators, incÂluÂding pro-Mamata groups among them.
Raju Bist, BJP MP for Darjeeling, has tweeted about a letter written to him by Union home minister Amit Shah, wherein Shah has mentioned the word 바카라GorkÂhÂaland바카라, thus reigniting the issue. Bist wrote to Shah in July, voicing concern over the security of Gorkhas in Delhi, as they were left out of the purview of the Delhi Police바카라s special cell to counter racism, especially against people from the NorÂthÂeast. According to Bist, Shah replÂied that concerns over the people of Ladakh and 바카라Gorkhaland바카라 were being looÂÂked into. This drew immediate protests from the ruling Trinamool. Goutam Deb, a former minister and senior leader based in north Bengal, questions the use of 바카라Gorkhaland바카라 by Shah. 바카라Why did he use it? There is no place called Gorkhaland in the entire area. It seems after dividing J&K, the BJP is planning to bifurcate Bengal.바카라
Bist was prompt in pointing out that the very institution formed by the Mamata Banerjee government to administer the Darjeeling hills is called Gorkhaland Territorial Authority (GTA). When Jyoti Basu gave limited autonomy to the Darjeeling hills after facing the first wave of the Gorkhaland movement led by Subhas Ghishing in the 1980s, the tripartite agreement signed by the Centre, West Bengal and Ghising named the institution Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.
However, soon after Shah바카라s momentous announcement in Parliament regarding J&K, factions of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) started voicing the demÂand for a Union territory. GJM leader Bimal Gurung congratulated the Centre, hoping it would consider the demand of the Darjeeling hills people. Roshan Giri, Gurung바카라s close aide, said that creation of a Union territory would solve the problems of Darjeeling, Terai and Dooars. While it is true that BJP바카라s Bist was elected from Darjeeling with support from Gurung바카라s GJM faction, even the pro-Mamata faction of GJM is voicing the UT demand. Binay Tamang, the GTA chairman close to Mamata, asked in a statement why the Centre couldn바카라t take a decision on Darjeeling similar to J&K.
These rumblings in the hills have put parties바카라both the TMC and the OpposiÂtion바카라in the plains in a quandary. So far, Mamata has not reacted to it, knowing that a further division of a Partition-scarred Bengal would become a highly emotive issue that might impÂact the all-important state assembly polls in 2021. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh, while celebrating the decisions on Kashmir, was cautious in his reactions to developments in north Bengal. 바카라We have never said we want Gorkhaland. We want a permanent political solution to the problem of the hills,바카라 he said.
With Mamata maintaining a stoic sileÂnce, TMC leaders are hesitant to speak. A top TMC leader says the party was following instructions from Prashant Kishor, the poll strategist hired by Mamata. 바카라The party is now ruled by a triumvirate of Mamata, her nephew Abhishek and Prashant Kishor,바카라 he says in half-jest. 바카라It is likely that Mamata or her party leaders are not voicing their concerns about Darjeeling on the advice of Kishor,바카라 says the TMC insider.
Actually, even as the Left and the CongÂress focus on street-level protests on the Centre바카라s Kashmir decision, its possible fall-out in Bengal has put Mamata and her party in a bind. Bypolls in three assÂembly seats (Kharagpur, Karimpur and Kaliaganj) will be held in November-December, and the Congress and the Left have already resolved to fight them unitedly. Ostensibly, their fight is against the BJP and the TMC, but they also want to see if Mamata바카라s silence on Kashmir can help them win back Bengal바카라s Muslims.
However, for all their hopes for a UT status, the people of Darjeeling are sceptical about the BJP바카라s political will. Suraj Sharma, assistant director of tourism in GTA, says from Darjeeling: 바카라If BJP leaders are sincere they could raise the Darjeeling issue in Parliament and submit a joint memorandum to the PM and President. By writing to Amit Shah or issÂuing a statement locally is lip service. Is there any sincere political will to give UT to Darjeeling? I doubt it.바카라
By Rajat Roy in Calcutta