Morcha plans meets on GNLF day

TT; VIVEK CHHETRI; Darjeeling, March 28: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to organise a series of public meetings across the hills on April 5 in an alleged move to throw a spanner in the foundation day celebration of the GNLF on the same day. Although Morcha leaders have denied that they have such intentions, this is not the first time that Bimal Gurung’s party is trying to foil its rivals’ programmes by holding its events.

 Priyabardan Rai, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha, said: “As of now, we will be holding public meetings in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik, Soureni and Panighatta (on April 5). We will be holding the party’s (youth front) meeting in a day or two to decide on more places where meetings could be held.” 

 The GNLF observes April 5 as its foundation day and this time, Ghisingh’s party has decided to organise a meeting at the Simulbari football grounds, near Sukna in the plains under GTA area, to mark the day. The GNLF was formed on April 5, 1980. Asked if the Morcha was trying to foil GNLF’s foundation day programme by holding meetings across the hills on the same day, Rai said: “Our party has been holding meetings in various (GTA) constituencies. The public meetings (on April 5) will be a culmination of these meetings and are not aimed at foiling any other party’s programme.” 

 The Morcha is, however, known to foil public meetings organised by its rivals. ABGL leader Madan Tamang was killed a by a mob allegedly consisting of Morcha people when he was about to address his supporters at a public meeting in Darjeeling’s Motor stand on May 21, 2010. Last year, the GNLF did not organise any big public meeting to mark its foundation day and held low key programmes across the hills. Given the low-key nature of the meetings, the Morcha did not attempt to foil GNLF’s plans last year. According to observers, the Morcha’s decision to organise a series of meetings across the hills is aimed at disrupting GNLF’s plan.

 “It is a a well-known ploy of the Morcha. When Morcha supporters are out on roads to hold meetings, GNLF members might feel intimidated and stay indoors,” said an observer. The idea of the ruling party foiling the rivals’ political programmes is not new in the hills. When Ghisingh’s party was in power, it frequently called strikes in the region to foil rival party’s public meetings. Although Morcha’s writ runs in the hills, in the 2011 Assembly elections, Ghisingh’s party got around 40,000 votes from across the region, which is more than what any rival bagged.

 GNLF leaders were hounded out of the hills after the Morcha was formed in 2007 and the party had been lying dormant ever since. But recently, the GNLF received a shot in the arm with around 200 Morcha supporters from Sukna, Pankhabari and Tindharia joining the party this month. On March 22, about 100 Morcha workers from Tindharia joined the GNLF. The previous week, an equal number of people had left the Morcha and joined the GNLF in the Sukna-Garidhura area. The GNLF had also claimed that it had formed a central committee in Jalpaiguri with members from the hills in an attempt to revive the party.

 The Ghisingh-led party had also said it had set up 700 village committees in the three hill subdivisions of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Darjeeling. Today, the GNLF leaders did not want to comment on Morcha’s plan to hold meetings across the hills on April 5. “We are ready with our preparations to mark the party’s foundation day,” said a GNLF leader who did not want to be named. Sources said the party was planning to mobilise 5,000-10,000 supporters for the programme.