Wednesday, November 6, 2024
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Hills and Plains

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Darjeeling district in West Bengal is on the boil again. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has demanded the inclusion of some areas of the plains in the proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Council. Violence and uncertainty have been the inevitable outcome. The demand has been voiced since the time of Subhash Ghising who also wanted parts of the Terai and the Dooars areas under his control. Admittedly, the Dooars and the Terai are close to Darjeeling and have a large number of Nepali speaking people residing there. The GJM is obviously testing waters. Its ultimate aim is to include the Dooars and the Terai in a separate Gorkhaland state. But the Adivasi people in the region are restive because they are afraid of being treated as a depressed community in Gorkhaland or whatever administrative body is constituted in the near future.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should tread on the minefield cautiously. Appeals for peace and calm cut no eyes. Her claim that the Darjeeling problem has been solved has proved to be overoptimistic. Her political gain should not be the determining factor. No part of the Terai and the Dooars should be handed over to the GJM. That will go against the all party accord in Kolkata under the Left Front government. The issue is now under consideration by a committee headed by Justice Shyamal Sen, which is expected to place its report in June. The GJM should not be allowed to resort to pressure tactics though that may be emulating Trinamool policy in handling the Centre. The present agitation, the 36-hour ultimatum, will perhaps die down without public support. But the GJM may stick to its policy. All this will undermine the economic development of not only the hills but of North Bengal as a whole.

 

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