Darjeeling: Fissures in Morcha Over Suspension of Agitations

The ‘Gorkhaland’ agitations were facing rough weather, right from the beginning. It could not take off to a head start because of a ‘backlash from planes’, resulting in postponement of ‘Bandh’ for five days. Then after low-key resumptions, ‘Bandh has to be postponed again, this time for a longer tenure of 12 days.

Immediately after Bimal Gurung announced postponement of agitation for 12 days, Morcha supporters were split into ‘pro- and anti-bandh’ factions. Anti –bandh faction, led by a lady member, manhandled one of their top ranking leader at Mal-Chourasta in the Darjeeling nerve center. After an internal investigation, five of them have been expelled from Morcha.

In a meeting at the Mal-Chourasta on 25^th’June, Binay Tamang, the Morcha publicity secretary, Alok Kant Mani, President of the Morcha youth wing, and D.K.Prodhan, Morcha Central Committee member, explained at length, the circumstances leading to suspension of agitations.

Braving incessant rains, the meeting was attended by large crowd. Many at the rally ‘appreciated’ the Morcha’s compulsions for suspension of agitations but others also felt let down. Dinesh Gurung of the Morcha justified the angry reactions by saying, “Many people have sold ornaments to stock food grains (in preparation for long indefinite Bandh) and we respect their commitment and outburst that followed (following suspension of agitation).”

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