It was only yesterday that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) President Bimal Gurung resolved to launch Home Rule Movement saying, "Let them shift their Transport Department to Siliguri if they want… we will start our own the day they do so. Home Rule Movement will begin in earnest by next month." Today, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has resolved to ‘Pay vehicle taxes and let the Transport Department be in Darjeeling Hills. The sudden change in policy has been due to, according to Amar Lama, member GJM Central Committee, "The necessity of vehicles during the coming election." Lama in the press conference organised at Parijat Guest House in Gorubathan said, "Since the election is coming and vehicles are needed for campaigning, we have decided to allow the payment of vehicle taxes from Saturday. Requisition papers are needed to be shown to election commission observers during election. People can pay their vehicle taxes at Darjeeling Transport office." The press conference was attended by party President Bimal Gurung and General Secretary Roshan Giri.
While this may not be the first time that apparent and sudden policy changes have occured in the agitational programme of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the confusion, however, this time has been due the sudden appriasal of the coming General Election by the party. A lot of questions have evidently risen. Is Gorkha Janmutki Morcha planning to contest in the election? If not is Gorkha Janmukti Morcha planning to support other party candidate in the election? The sudden change in the policy has also led many to question whether the party has not been asked to do so, by some other party from Delhi….
"Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will support the BJP candidate. And since the 2010 dateline which Bimal Gurung is clinging to is based on the promises made by the BJP Central Commitee leaders, GJM will have to create an amicable environment of the election. This is the only reason why they would give up on one of their most important agitational programme," Ashok Lama, a prominent academician and a political observer in Darjeeling said.
Arindam Guha, a prominent political analyst based in Kolkata said, "Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has also shown a keen desire to seek dialogue with both Soniya Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee. This is possibly a ploy to make the Communist led West Bengal Government nervous. At the same time Gorkha Janmukti Morcha may itself be planning to contest the election and presently seeking a bigger support base."
While Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders were not readily appoachable for comments of the coming General Elections, it can be safely said that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has lifted the restrictions of vehicle taxes taking the coming elections in mind. Their direct and indirect participation cannot at this moment be ascertained either but no candidate will win without the support of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. It can only be hoped that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha does not repeat the mistakes committed by Gorkha National Liberation Front during the earlier General Elections.
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