For some time now, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has stepped up agitations in the hills by replacing the words ‘West Bengal’ with ‘Gorkhaland’ in all signboards, including signboards of state government offices, in the hill council areas of Darjeeling and making it mandatory to change the number plate to ‘GL’ in place of ‘WB’ for all vehicles going up the hills from entry point in Sukna, 10 km from Siliguri town and other entry points.
However, the signboards of Central government offices, military and paramilitary vehicles, police, district magistrate’s office vehicles and vehicles of forest, health departments and media have been spared.
For the purpose, a camp office has been set up at Sukna, where one has to fork out Rs.30 to Rs.50 to get ‘Gorkhaland’ registration by filling up a form, failing which the vehicles are not allowed to go up. Most of the vehicles are changing the number plate to ‘GL’ while going up and changing back to ‘WB’ while coming back to Siliguri.
In Siliguri, the urban development minister Ashok Bhattacharya described the move from GJM as anti-National. The trade union wing of CPM, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions however made it clear that if the Bengal government fails to act (to stop this practice of putting ‘GL’ number) it would not allow the vehicles to go uphill from 22nd October’08.
‘Amra Bangali’, a communal outfit, which is highly opposed to GJM’s statehood demand, threatened to go on indefinite strike from 20th October in the proposed Gorkhaland areas.
It is therefore clear that as the demand for Gorkhaland picks intensity, a backlash of equal ferocity is likely to engulf the whole region of Darjeeling hills and Siliguri plains. The crux of the matter is that the GJM would always be in disadvantage, as all the supply lines to Hills go from the plains.
Your reporter has always maintained that the creation of a tiny separate state of ‘Gorkhaland’ with an area of about 1000 square kilometers and a population of 7 lakh Nepalis (all of them are not Gorkhas) would mean opening of floodgates for creation of hundreds of ethnic states in India, which if allowed has the potential of breaking up India. Just imagine, the Indian state comprises of 32,50000 SQKM area. A state 1600sqkm apiece may mean 2000 states! In fact, the correct demand would have been to merge Darjeeling with Sikkim, which too is a state of Nepali majority. But to me it appears, the personal ambitions of leaders play a major role in movements of this nature and Bimal Gurung may be nurturing an ambition of becoming father figure of ‘Gorkhaland’ if created and becoming immortal historically.
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