DARJEELING: Darjeeling District Bharatiya Janta Party was full of praise for the ‘work done by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’ as they started their public meeting yesterday at Gitange Dara, Chowk Bazaar, Darjeeling. Incidently after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) diktat barring all ‘other’ political parties from holding political meetings in the hills and Dooars Tera, Bharatiya Janata Party was the first party to be allowed to use Gitange Dara, a popular platform for political meetings in Darjeeling, by GJM. Bharatiya Janta Party’s said meeting was also indicative of the start of the 2009 General Election fever as the party formerly started their election campaign yesterday.
Addressing a sizeable audience, Dr. G. S. Yonzone, President, Darjeeling District Committee, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, "It is of utmost importance for the sake of the achievement of Gorkhaland that Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power at the Centre. Once the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power, the formation of Gorkhaland is hundred percent sure because Bharatiya Janta Party has already committed itself to the issue of Gorkhaland."
Referring to the party’s commitment to Gorkhaland, Dr. Yonzone said, "The party is seriously considering including the demand of Gorkhaland in its election manifesto. If this is done, fifty percent of our work is done. The only thing that would remain to be done would be to see to it that Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in the Centre. This time we were able to fend off the Sixth Schedule Bill even by sitting in the opposition bench. BJP has played a great role in protecting the hills from the imposition of Sixth Schedule Status. BJP has done well to serve Darjeeling Hills and Dooars Terai even though not being in power. If the party was in power then surely there would have been no problem in the formation of Gorkhaland. Once the party comes into power many of the sub-castes will be declared as tribes. However, if Sixth Schedule had been imposed in the hills and Dooars Terai, Subash Ghisingh’s rule had been reinstated. The people had to be go through the ordeal of subjugation and discrimination again. We will all have to look at BJP’s programmes, the party has been able to develop the nation in a very short period of time. We will have to work towards reinstating BJP at the helm of Central Governance. During the previous term, the party had created three new states. The Darjeeling District Committee with submit a memorandum to the party Central Committee on Gorkhaland again. When Subash Ghisingh initiated the 80s Gorkhaland Movement, I did not remain idle. I authored an analytical book portraying the economical and political validity of a separate statehood. When Gorkhaland is achieved, this state will be the richest state in India. I am a Scientist. I have great knowledge of the resources of the hills. All the money that were sent for Hill Development were used by the State Government in Kolkata and Delhi. Similarly, Subash Ghisingh hindered the full fledged development of Darjeeling Hills. And this is why the development of Darjeeling Hills has remained stagnated."
Addressing the meeting, Sitaram Adhikari, who represented Dooars and was also the Chief Guest at the meeting said, "There is no such thing as ‘or if’ in Democracy. However, this is what is being used almost predominantly in the Hills. If we are to retrospect, after being cheated for last 21 years, we might still face the same fate. I will not blame the West Bengal Government. The Communist Party of India Marxist specially in Bengal has brought ill repute to the names of Lenin and Marx. The Communist Government at Kolkata and the Congress Government at the Centre are the same. Both these Governments do not want Gorkhaland to happen. The only hope for Gorkhaland is the formation of a BJP Government at the Centre. Once the BJP Government is formed at the Centre, the next would be the formation of Gorkhaland."
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