Setback for GJM: Gorkhaland panel functionary quits

Accusing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) of misleading people by claiming the central government agreed to hold a tripartite on the Darjeeling issue Wednesday, GJAC chief advisor Enos Das Pradhan has quit.

Pradhan alleged the GJM violated the main principle on which the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee (GJAC) was formed after it participated in a meeting of the hill development body, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

“A primary resolution of the GJAC taken at its first meeting in August was the GTA should be dissolved as it had outlived its utility with the GJAC deciding to fight for the formation of Gorkhaland. But now the GJM has returned to the GTA. So, the GJM-sponsored GJAC is now no more viable,” said Pradhan.

The members of the GTA Sabha from the GJM took part in Monday’s meeting.

“The GJM also claimed the central government has agreed to hold a tripartite meeting on the Gorkhaland issue Oct 23. Why was the meeting not held? It seems GJM has misled the people. They tried to divert people’s attention,” he said.

Pradhan alleged the GJM took advantage of the confusion among the hill people to strike a deal with the West Bengal government on resuming its participation in the GTA.

The GJM, however, claimed it had been verbally informed by home ministry officials about the meeting.

“The home ministry officials called us and informed the tripartite talks will be held today (Wednesday). But we never received any official communication on that. But the meeting will be held after some time,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told IANS over phone.

Pradhan said a new platform, the National Joint Action Committee for Gorkhaland, would be formed involving people from states like Assam, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, having a substantial Gorkha population.

The GJAC was formed Aug 16 as a broad-based platform for achieving Gorkhaland after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance approved the creation of a Telangana state by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.

-IANS