Bimal Gurung Complain to Governor against Mamata's Government

KOLKATA: A delegation of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) from Darjeeling met West Bengal governor M.K.Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan here on Friday to complain about Mamata Banerjee's government which was allegedly bypassing the Gorkha autonomous body while carrying out administrative work in the Hills. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, a GJM MLA and leader of the party told reporters after their meeting that the state government had been bypassing the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabha while carrying out administrative work. "The GTA Sabha was elected on the basis of the tripartite agreement among the Union government, state government and GJM. It is now solely responsible for the overall development in Darjeeling Hills. But the state administration is bypassing it and carrying out its own administrative work. 

We feel that bilateral relation of the state government and GTA is sure to deteriorate once the state government continues to bypass our elected body," Chhetri reportedly told the governor during their meeting at Raj Bhavan on Friday afternoon. Relations between Mamata Banerjee's government at GJM in Darjeeling Hills has deteriorated significantly after chief minister's last visit in the Hills. Mamata Banerjee had taken strong exception to the act of a group of GJM activists who had displayed placards in front of her demanding a separate Gorkha state and shouted slogans in support of their demand. An angry chief minister had told the crowd in presence of the GJM president Bimal Gurung that she was holding a government function and the Gorkhas should not raise any political demand in such a function. She also said that "I am very rough and tough and I don't want you to raise such a political demand in a government function." Mamata's stand had certainly irked the GJM leadership including Gurung, who had later announced that they will launch fresh movement in the Hills from March in support of their demand for a separate state. 

Only on Wednesday, the minister for North Bengal development Goutam Deb had to face a difficult situation when an angry mob of GJM supporters gheraoed his car near Kalimpong and shouted slogan against him, asking him not to visit the Hills again. Naturally, the state government is not in a very comfortable position now as far as Darjeeling situation is concerned and Friday's meeting between the governor and GJM delegation was very crucial considering the current situation in the Hills. The governor had summoned West Bengal industry minister Partha Chatterjee and the state's home secretary at Raj Bhavan immediately after his meeting with the GJM delegation and discussed with the minister about the current law and order situation in Darjeeling.