Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung called off the strike in Darjeeling after an appeal by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. In an audio message sent to the people of Darjeeling, Gurung declared the decision.
During the two-day BJP national executive meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked Rajnath Singh to immediately resolve the Darjeeling issue. The meeting was attended by West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh along with Darjeeling MP S.S. Alhuwalia. At the end of the meeting it was decided that Singh would urge GJM to break the 104-day-long strike.
Sources said, Alhuwalia spoke to Gurung, who is hiding in Sikkim, and asked him to call off the indefinite strike. Alhuwalia also reportedly told Gurung that the home secretary would take up the matter of Darjeeling with the state government. In his message, Gurung stated he wanted the Centre's intervention in Darjeeling.
Will this decision pave way for a tripartite talk as demanded by Gurung, Roshan Giri and their followers? The GJM has fallen apart and and a section led by ousted GJM leader Binay Tamang is already negotiating with the West Bengal government which welcomed Gurung's decision.
The state, however, said they had already brought peace to Darjeeling. “What more has the central government done? We have already brought peace in the hills,” said Tourism Minister Gautam Deb who hails from Siliguri. Deb said state government would have no problem to speak with other leaders of the GJM who have not joined the peace mission.
“But Gurung and Giri are wanted under UAPA. They would have to face the law,” he said.
It would be difficult for Gurung and Giri to return to Darjeeling as police forces have been deployed in Darjeeling extensively.
According to sources, in the absence of Gurung and Giri, Alhuwalia might come to Darjeeling and speak to the people on behalf of the central government. The most crucial thing in Darjeeling is the Centre's intervention, which GJM has been demanding for so long. It is also to be seen how the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is revived. GTA was constituted under the state law and it would be the prerogative of the state government to revive it. The GTA was rendered defunct by Bimal Gurung after he resigned from the chief executive three months ago.
A fresh election needs to be conducted. But West Bengal government had made Tamang the chairman of the interim board of the GTA. Mamata Banerjee would like to see Tamang as the chief in the GTA in the near future. She would like to see the dominance of GTA as the board would also constitute parties like GNLF, JAP and other parties. The BJP government, however, might not like to see that happen as it might loosen the party’s grip over Darjeeling. This could pave way for a politcal war of sorts in the hills.
The people of Darjeeling are frustrated at the present state of Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri who sold the dream of Gorkhaland. For over 100 days now, life in the hills had come to a standstill causing misery to the people.
“We have had enough of it. Now we have understood that Gorkhaland would not be possible. Also GJM party is going to have an unnatural death. So be it. These people were nothing but dream merchants. We are happy that in this festive season, life has come back to normalcy,” said Rajesh Chetry, a businessman in Darjeeling.
Amid all this tension, a great fear that lurks is that of a threat from Gorkha Liberation Army, a terror group which has come up with demand for Gorkhaland. Issuing fresh threats, the group said: “Those who are settling with the government for power will be punished.”
