Thapa reminds BJP of responsibility to fulfil Gorkhaland aspirations

REZA PRADHAN

DARJEELING,: Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) leader Anit Thapa on Sunday reminded the BJP leadership of its responsibility to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the hills for Gorkhaland, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said his party would accept any agreement to resolve the Gorkha issue except bifurcation of Bengal.

Thapa said the BJP and its alliance partners in the hills, who had sought votes in the name of Gorkhaland, must now explain the aspirations of the people to the State government.

“The BJP in the hills had sought votes for Gorkhaland. Now how will they explain the aspirations of the people of the hills to the Chief Minister of Bengal? This is their responsibility. We are in favour of Gorkhaland,” Thapa said at a programme in Mirik, according to a BGPM release.

His remarks came a day after a meeting in Siliguri between Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Adhikari and NDA's hill allies. Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) president JB Rai had subsequently claimed that the Bengal Chief Minister had explicitly ruled out the division of the state.

Thapa said the alliance partners were stakeholders in the ongoing dialogue and should work towards addressing the aspirations of the people of the hills.

"Everyone had said that there would be a meeting on the Gorkhaland issue, but they formed a committee to take the issue forward," he said.

Recalling the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Thapa said the agreement was reached after the Gorkhaland issue had reached the Centre and that the dialogue should now begin from that point.

He also recalled the BJP's electoral promise on Gorkhaland, saying the party had stated that it would not take the issue forward until the state government took positive steps.

"That is why the GTA election was held. We contested the election. We won. We also implemented the system," he said.

Thapa said the BGPM subsequently walked away from the GTA after the BJP-led government came to power in the state as it did not want the administrative arrangement to become an obstacle to the demand for Gorkhaland.

He said the Chief Minister's statement that Bengal would not be divided could be addressed through dialogue.

"I have not heard that there will be no Gorkhaland though I read about no division of Bengal. But a dialogue is going on and the central government has formed a committee under the leadership of the interlocutor," Thapa said.

He urged the leaders of the NDA's hill allies to take the initiative to explain the aspirations of the people to the government, saying they also carried the trust placed in the BJP by the people of the hills.

Thapa appealed to the people to maintain a positive approach and avoid confrontation.

"Don't say that Gorkhaland will not be given right now. Let us move forward with a positive attitude. We have abandoned GTA for Gorkhaland and we should not move towards conflict. We believe in dialogues," he said.