News

‘Bring back democracy’

SILIGURI, Oct. 23: A day after the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) toned down its Hill agitation at the request of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the CPI-M today demanded an immediate reinstatement of “total democracy” in the Darjeeling Hills.

Addressing a Press conference in Siliguri this afternoon, the CPI-M Darjeeling district secretary Mr SP Lepcha and state committee member Mr Jibesh Sarkar said the GJMM’s suspension of the “GL” number diktat on vehicles and the replacement of “West Bengal” with “Gorkhaland” on the state government office signboards in the Hills was a welcome step but was not enough.

“Under pressure from both in the Hills and the outside, the GJMM was compelled to curtail its unlawful diktats yesterday afternoon. But the CPI-M does not consider it to be enough and demands that the district administration should take measures to reinstate a total democratic atmosphere in the Hills wherein all parties, factions and individuals can express their views, carry out public meetings without any fear. Being the commanding force in the Hills right now, the GJMM too have a vital role to play in this regard,” said the CPI-M leader Mr Sarkar. Once again rejecting the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state out of West Bengal, Mr Sarkar said the ongoing tripartite talks should zero-in on facilitating maximum regional autonomy to the Darjeeling Hill areas but within the state. Asked whether the CPI-M wants the aborted Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling to be revived, he said: “As of now, Sixth Schedule is not in the party’s consideration.”

The CPI-M district secretary Mr SP Lepcha said the district Left Front has released leaflets to make the people aware of the destructive agitation initiated by the GJMM in the Hills and the attempt by several factions to trigger a similar counter-agitation in Siliguri.

© 2008 The Gorkhaland Chronicle.