Absconding Gorkha leader Bimal Gurung on Friday made an emotional appeal to his community to continue their movement though it is on the wane thanks to heavy crackdown by the Mamata Banerjee government.
Gurung, for the first time, raised fear for his life. He also felt that along with his close associate, Roshan Giri, he would be eliminated by Bengal's counter-insurgency force.
Both Gurung and Giri have been booked under terror-related laws. They are believed to have been hiding in Nepal.
Gurung called his former associates like Benoy Tamang (though he did not take any name) cowards, who, he alleged, took position and money and sacrificed the idea of Gorkhaland in Bengal.
However, he said that the separate state movement in Darjeeling would not die despite the “sabotage” by many of his old associates.
West Bengal government has formed a high-powered police team to track Gurung and Giri.
"It doesn’t matter if I am killed, thousands of new Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giris must be born; thousands of new leaders must be born, not cowards. Even if it is for a moment, let us live that moment with conviction and respect," he said in a statement from his hideout.
"We came with nothing in this earth and we will leave empty handed; even those leaders who are today sold out to Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal must understand this; when they die, their funeral pyre won’t be adorned with their bank balances and their positions," said he.
He urged the Gorkha community to resist themselves from taking undue advantage from West Bengal government, and further added, "They sold off dreams of these martyrs. If they want to do politics, they should do the politics of truth and conviction. And if someone comes forward to take up the cause of our community, they should have to stop taking advantage of such issues, people and politics."
Taking a dig at Benoy Tamang, his former associate-turned-administrative chief of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), Gurung said, "Today those who are occupying high posts under the Bengal government should realise, we don’t care about posts or positions, we are only concerned about the welfare of our people, we are only concerned about our land, we are not going to be sold off and to act as someone’s salves."
He asked Gorkhas not to forget the sacrifice of their forefathers.
" I request you all to light a lamp, light a candle, let us accord them our respect and gratitude. Because in some houses, some lamps have been doused forever. As a respect to them, we need to light a lamp, because they died for us, they died for the [Gorkha] community; they didn’t die for their personal interests, they died for the land and their community. The Gorkhas should never forget the days when Bengal’s dark policies conspired to shoot bullets through the heads of innocent civilians."
Gurung's sharp criticism came when after a year Darjeeling saw good footfalls of tourists this year. Southern star Rajnikanth made a seven-day trip to shoot one of his yet-to-be named film, which had 700 crew members and actors.
"Remember this, this is a solemn vow I have taken. No matter where I am, I will continue our struggle for our community, I will protect our community.. and not by selling off our community. Even if my entire family is killed, I won’t mind, but I won’t sell off myself. I appeal to all the Gorkhas spread across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Terai, Dooars and across India and the world, yes we have had our differences in the past, but the need is now to move forward by lighting a lamp of hope. Let us light the lamp of hope on the 17th (of June) so that we can come together to fight for our aspirations together. Let us forget political parties, let us forget posts and positions, let us come together to realise our dreams. I request you to light a lamp in honour of all the Gorkhaland martyrs from 1986 till date, let us show our solidarity," he said with a veiled threat to Banerjee.
"We will stand proud and talk to represent the aspirations of our community," he said.
He further cautioned the community that if they backtrack, “a day is not far when you won’t even find land to bury your bodies.”