Gorkhaland state has struck a chord with the hill people and local political parties, a throwback to the 1980s when a prolonged movement led by the GNLF under Subash Ghisingh had rocked Darjeeling.Cutting across religious, political and ideological divides, the overwhelming view is that Gorkhaland is a ‘sentiment’ that can no longer be ignored.“Such unity among the people of the hills was last witnessed in the 80s. It can be suppressed for some time but can’t be wiped out,” Jan Andolan Party (JAP) Chief Harka Bahadur Chetri said as tension continued to simmer, 11 days after the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) called for an indefinite shutdown on June 8.Chetri, a former GJM MLA, had formed his own political outfit last year after differences with GJM supremo Bimal Gurung.
He has now extended his full support to the cause of Gorkhaland as have GJM’s arch-rivals Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), All Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha (GRNM), Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM).
In a disturbing development for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a section of local leaders of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) have backed the statehood demand along with local CPI-M leaders.“Gorkhaland is not a political rhetoric but a sentiment and a passion which has grown stronger over the years,” said a leader who did not want to be named.