Morcha in no GTA chief hurry - A section wants Gurung to return

TT;VIVEK CHHETRIDarjeeling, Nov. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the party was “not in a hurry” to elect a new chief executive for the GTA Sabha and one section feels Bimal Gurung should be requested to return to the chair. Morcha president Gurung had resigned from the post of the chief executive on July 30 and has given no indication that he would lead the GTA again. Jyoti Kumar Rai, the assistant secretary of the Morcha and an executive member of the GTA, today said: “We are not in a hurry to elect a new chief executive. We had earlier elected Binay Tamang. The state government has not yet officially written to us saying Tamang cannot be the chief executive. Once we receive a communication from the state government, we will sit for a meeting to decide on the matter. Then the principal secretary (of the GTA) has to convene a meeting of the Sabha to elect a new chief executive.” Tamang had been elected the chief executive on September 27 as Gurung had quit the post. But Tamang couldn’t take the oath within a month of his election, as stipulated by the law, as he was lodged in the Jalpaiguri Correctional Home. He was elected to the post because of the Morcha’s realisation that if the party didn’t elect a chief executive, the state government may take control of the body. Another reason to elect Tamang was to create pressure on the government to release Morcha leaders. At present, Ramesh Allay, the deputy chief of the GTA Sabha, has been given the power to function as the chief executive. Tamang is an accused in a case of attempt to murder and another of arson. He began an indefinite hunger strike demanding his release. But after he refused food and water for two days, Tamang was moved to Jalpaiguri district hospital where he was administered saline on Sunday. Concerned about Tamang’s health, a team of Morcha leaders met governor M.K. Narayanan on Sunday demanding the GTA leader’s release as also that of nearly 1,100 Morcha leaders and activists. Gurung on earlier instances made announcements but did the opposite after pressure from party supporters. When the GTA was formed, Gurung had said he would not contest the elections to the autonomous body or head it but he did an about-turn heeding the demand of party workers. It is unclear if he would heed this time. Observers say a semblance of normality will not return to the GTA unless a new chief executive is chosen. Even as the Morcha is delaying the election of a new chief executive, there is a growing voice within the party that wants Gurung to assume charge again. On October 27, when the Morcha held a public meeting at the Darjeeling Motor Stand, party activists held up posters that said Gurung should assume charge as chief executive. However, in his address that day, Gurung said he had asked “other leaders” to run the GTA and he had sacrificed the chair to continue with the Gorkhaland agitation. The Morcha-affiliated Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan — a union of the GTA employees — also wrote to Gurung recently “requesting” him to take charge of the GTA. He has not responded to the request. Gurung quit the GTA chief executive’s post at the beginning of the fresh round of statehood agitation. The Morcha is right now on the back foot as the administration has not done anything about releasing the Morcha leaders from jail though the hill party has told the state government that it will run the GTA.