The formation of a new political front — Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front — in the Hills of Darjeeling has brought to fore once again the demand for the separate statehood of Gorkhaland in West Bengal.
Ajoy Edwards, who dissolved his Hamro Party after a suggestion from the Election Commission to change its name since it sounded similar to another party, is the convener on the new political front.
Speaking with The Indian Express over the phone, Edwards said the Gorkhaland is the outfit’s vision.
“There is a renewed hope for us to take forward our cause for a separate state for our people. For us, Gorkhaland is our vision. Everyone has a vision and that has to be respected. I cannot say it will happen tomorrow, but we will sincerely work towards that.”
The rekindling of the separate statehood demand comes at a time when most of the political parties in the Hills, including GTA chairman Anit Thapa’s Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, an ally of the ruling TMC in the state, and GJM leader Bimal Gurung, have put the issue on the backburner and have gone silent.
The demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland had led to violent movement in the Hills in the 1980s. It was then led by GNLF leader late Subhash Ghisingh, who passed away in 2015. Between 2013 and 2017, GJM leader Bimal Gurung raised the issue again. The Hills again witnessed incidents of violence and long strikes — there was a 104-day strike in 2017.
“The thinking that was prevalent 40 years ago, does not match in today’s times. We faced the consequences of such agitations… However, we will not do that (raise the demand for a separate state) by destroying people’s lives. If there is a strike, our people suffer. We will not go on strikes or set fire to government houses. There will be a proactive and positive revolution in the Hills,” Edwards said on Monday, a day after he was chosen convener of the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front.
“There is discontent among leaders of parties in the Hills as well as the people here. There is anti-incumbency, corruption and scams everywhere… Therefore, we worked for the past eight months on this (creating a new front). This was a collective sacrifice for us to lay down our own party flags and collective sacrifice for others who too left their parties to come towards a Gorkha unity,” Edwards added.
Stating that poverty and unemployment are the issues that are affecting the lives of people in the Hills, Edwards said the new outfit will raise these basic issues.
“We live on Rs 230 (daily wage in tea gardens) per family a day. We refuse to live in poverty. The rights of tea garden workers and land rights are prime issues that we will raise alongside the Gorkhaland demand. The issue of unemployment and that of basic urban needs will be raised too,” he said.
The new outfit, insiders said, will come up with a seven-point agenda, including implementation of minimum wages in tea gardens, land rights, and inclusion of 11 Gorkha communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
On Sunday, prominent political personalities to join the new party included Pradeep Pradhan, former deputy chairman of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration; Prakash Gurung and Yogendra Rai, both former GTA Sabha members; and former secretary general of GNLF Mahendra Chetri.
“I am just the convener. Yesterday (Sunday) was just the inauguration of the party flag and the name. There will be a landslide of people joining us from different parties. After Christmas, you will get daily news that this person from this party has joined us. In the next 45 days we will form a party structure with well-defined youth, students and women’s wings,” said Edwards.