It is now clear that the plea of Gandhian Philosophy in Gorkhaland movement was a ploy to create an alibi to show that the movement resorted to violence as the Gandhian ways failed. Now that they (political bosses of Gorkhaland) have faced backlash from Siliguri and Dooars plains, it has become clear to them that sitting in the remote corner of Darjeeling Hills they could probably do very little to annex Darjeeling from Bengal leave alone a greater Gorkhaland. They badly need supplies from Bengal to sustain themselves.
So, they are showing teeth now in the garb of statement from Gorkha Janamukti Yuva Morcha(GJYM).
GJYM president Puran Thami has given threatening statements. See them below: –
- Yuva Morcha would not hesitate to leave the path of Gandhism and Democracy if such a need arises.
- If the government is not ready to accept the demands put forward by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, GYJM is ready to go the streets and create havoc.
- We are only waiting for the direction from our President Bimal Gurung (to go to street and start street fight!)
Does all that sound sane? Or the language of pseudo-terrorists? In fact they themselves very well understand that their demand of separate Gorkhaland (as per their Map) is impractical. See their Map.
- Darjeeling hills comprising of three subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong with a total area of about 1600 sqkm and population of 800000 of which Gorkhas (including Lepchas and Bhutias) comprise 700000. Definitely they are in Majority.
- Siliguri Plains having a total population of 800000, with Bengalis making up 80% and an area of about 900sqkm (except Naxalbari zone)
- Dooars areas of Malbazar and Nagrakata etc west of Sankosh river having an area of about 4000sqkm comprising of a population of about 1000000 of which Gorkhas comprise only 30%.
Just add up the areas, 6500sqkm and 26 lakh population, the Gorkhas would be minorities in Gorkhaland and Bengalis and Adivashis would dictate the Assembly of such a state. The result would be Gorkhas would have to agitate again for reservation in Assembly for Gorkhas. Also relevant is the winning of CPM candidates both in Panchayat and State assembly in Dooars and Siliguri with huge margins in spite of all out propaganda against CPM by Bimal gurung .
The bigger issue however is that creation of Gorkhaland would open a Pandora’s Box and hundreds and hundreds of miniature ethnic states have to be created within India with populations of up to say 1000000 and areas up to say 5000 sqkm. Obviously this will reverse the process of unification and integration in India of 600 odd mini states done by Sardar Ballvbhai Patel just after Independence.
I would suggest that if they are bent on breaking Bengal they may opt for joining Sikkim which is a state comprising of Nepalese, Gorkhas, Bhutias, Lepchas and some other mongoloid ethnic groups. This will be strategically viable and no state need be created. Otherwise too, Darjeeling was a part of Sikkim once upon a time.
But then politics is politics. Personal ambitions of political bosses are translated into public desire and issues. So it is not surprising that twenty years after Subash Gheising, another big boss is in the making and he needs his pound of flesh.
Meanwhile the GJYM may go downhill to the streets of plains and taste its own strength vis a vis Amra Bangali, the Adivasi Bikas Parishad and scores of others who are also out for the skull of Bimal Gurung!
Refer: https://www.groundreport.com/Politics/7TH-DAY-OF-FAST-UNTO-DEATH-IN-DOOARS-TERAI