Trinamul enters Morcha turf - Party claims 1500 inducted in first hill meet

Avijit Sinha, TT, Panighata, June 11: The Trinamul Congress today inducted a number of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders at a public programme in Panighata and signalled the possibility of contesting the GTA polls scheduled for next month.

A number of GNLF leaders, including former DGHC councillors, also joined Trinamul along with middle-ranking Morcha leaders in the presence of minister Gautam Deb. Trinamul claimed that nearly 1,500 people joined the party in its first public meeting in the Darjeeling hills, a Morcha turf.

Minister Gautam Deb with the newly inducted Trinamul members at Panighata. Pic:by Suman Tamang

“Today’s was the first public meeting of Trinamul in the hills. We intend to spread our base in the hills and participate in the development process taken up by Mamata Banerjee,” Deb, who is the chairman of the Trinamul core committee of north Bengal, said. “Our intention is not to oppose any other political party but spread the message of peace, harmony and democracy to expedite development.”

Deb said Trinamul would soon form committees at different levels in the hills.

“Regarding the issue of the GTA mouzas and the polls, we will request the people to maintain peace as the party concerned (Morcha) will meet the chief minister soon. We want people to refrain from activities that might jeopardise progress and development in the hills,” Deb added.

The meeting comes two days after the Justice Shyamal Sen committee’s report on the Morcha demand for territory was disclosed. The committee has recommended the inclusion of five plains mouzas in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), which has not gone down well with the Morcha that had demanded 396. The party has lined up a month-long agitation programme to protest the report.

In Panighata today, Rajen Mukhia, a former GNLF leader with three former DHGC councillors K.N. Subba, N.B. Khawas and Tshering Sherpa, joined Trinamul. Following him were some middle-ranking Morcha leaders from the hills and the Terai like Bishal Chhetri, Yuvraj Tamang and Shyam Rai. Slogans like “long live Mamata Banerjee” rent the Panighata air.

After the joining ceremony, the newly inducted members and Trinamul supporters from all three hill subdivisions, took out a procession in Panighata. Led by Deb and escorted by police, the rally culminated at the meeting venue.

“The GNLF and Morcha could not achieve Gorkhaland and took the path of compromise for their own interests. But Mamata Banerjee, who visited the hills six times during her first year of governance, did a lot for the hills, right from sanctioning of funds for development to the implementation of new infrastructure projects,” Mukhia said. “We joined Trinamul today to bring peace, democracy and development in the hills.”

While Deb refused to speak on the GTA polls, a Trinamul leader said: “The ultimate aim is to contest the elections. Nearly 1,500 people joined our party in a single day.”

Asked if Trinamul had promised him a ticket in the GTA polls, Mukhia did not give a direct reply: “We are not saying anything on Gorkhaland. But regarding GTA, which would be formed through elections, it is a usual practice for regional and national parties to contest polls. We find nothing wrong in such participation.”

Bishal Chhetri, a former member of the Terai committee of the Morcha, said discontentment was brewing among Morcha workers in the plains

“Morcha leaders have failed to address our demand to be included in the GTA. The agreement was signed without considering our aspirations,” Bishal Chhetri said. “In Trinamul, there is no such pretence. The chief minister and her colleagues like Gautam Deb are working consistently for the hills with specific plans for development. We would prefer to be in Trinamul.”

Shankar Adhikary, the president of the Terai committee of the Morcha, refused to put much importance to today’s programme. “Bishal Chhetri was the former president of the Terai branch committee and was removed from the post. Later, he was also expelled from Morcha,” Adhikary said, trying to dismiss Chhetri’s importance as a Morcha leader. “The others who joined lack political consciousness, are prone to ill habits like drugs and have their own interests. Trinamul’s entry however, will not affect the Morcha.”

Some Morcha supporters had planned to waylay Deb with black flags to protest the Sen committee report but the minister took a different route while entering Panighata. Local sources said the Morcha was planning a public meeting tomorrow to counter today’s meeting and prove their base.