Saturday 2 April 2016

Understanding Revised by Revisiting 'List Relief for Harka'


A very interesting news story has been posted in darjeelintimes.com titled "List relief for Harka." It states that the list of candidates declared by the TMC does not, anymore, mention Dr. Chettri of JAP as their candidate from Kalimpong constituency. However, in the same pages of the news portal you can also see how Mamata Banerjee seeks support for her party's candidates from Kurseong and Darjeeling and her party supported candidate from Kalimpong, Dr Chettri. What is to be drawn from this? Anyone who is politically aware and erudite can only understand that it is a different way of saying that Dr Chettri is the candidate for Mamata Banerjee from Kalimpong. It is not the question of JAP or Dr Chettri, but it is the question of do we support who supports our opponent, that is Dr Chettri/JAP, or who is supported by our opponent that again is Dr Chettri/JAP.
JAP is a classic example of the 'Foxes' of Pareto. I call them 'foxes' because one of the characteristic of the 'foxes' is the inability to take decisive action and decisions. This is precisely what is going to happen to those of JAP as they will be dictated by DIDI and every decision will have approval of DIDI. They will either take decisions only with the approval from DIDI or she will take all decisions on their behalf.  It will also be of interest to all the people of the hills to see if JAP will field its candidate in other constituencies against the TMC or will support those fielded by TMC. If they do not field their candidates against those of TMC then Dr Chettri's name being listed out of the list or included does not mean anything. It will be meaningless to the people, as it will be crystal clear to all, that JAP and TMC are playing a 'fixed' game to make sure that the party keeping alive the demand of Gorkhaland, GJMM, loses no matter what and also the demand. 
What is however, pertinent for the people of the hills and all the Gorkhaland lovers, is the fact that we have to understand the latent understanding that is there between JAP and TMC.  JAP and TMC have acquiesced to the fact that JAP will be supported by TMC till it does not raise the issue of Gorkhakand and in order to gain power JAP has avoided the term Gorkha even in the name of the party, knowing very well that this itself is going to hold back their relationship with the public. They have more importantly conceded to the demand of TMC not to further raise the issue of Gorkhaland.
The removal of the name of Dr Chettri from the list of candidates is further indication for all to witness that the two parties are hand in glove with each other. They, at any cost want to suppress, the voice of Gorkha for their rightful demand of Gorkhaland. And in doing so Dr Chettri and his party has agreed to be the means for TMC and DIDI to achieve their goals of suppressing the demand of Gorkhaland as well as the voice of the Gorkha. However, means are not selected without merit. It is selected and also determined by the environment. DIDI was very effective in selecting and calculating what would be her right means to dismantle the demand for Gorkhaland. She saw in her pawn a very 'fox' like character to do things which would lead it to power. Again the pawn, as a 'fox' in its endeavour to achieve power has innovated the means to reach its goal. It would had been acceptable to the people had it used the social conditions to its advantage in bringing about a change in the regime but what it did was choose the unacceptable, of supporting TMC and its dictates.
The party and more precisely its handful of supports declared itself to be party of intellectuals. Therefore these so called leaders are charismatic for them. However, it needs to be noted that when charismatic leadership is there it is supported by the subordinate members of the elite and the public plays a subservient role. The majority of the people in the hills are not political elites and therefore in this party of intellectuals the majority of the population in the hills will play a very subordinate role. The incumbent in power today in Darjeeling at least can associate himself with these unintelligent, irrational, apathetic masses and thereby understand what they go through in their daily affairs and show sympathy. This party of intellectuals will only work to fulfil the political necessities of its allies and thereby make the concerns of all the Gorkha, the creation of Gorkhaland as irrelevant as they have achieved by not mentioning the creation of Gorkhaland in their party's manifesto released in much fanfare and also keep at a distance the 'unintelligent public'.
Coming to the voters, there is much confusion and apathy, regarding the choice to be made. It is understandable that many have grievances against the ruling party as well. But what needs to be understood is the fact that they are swimming against the tide, and their own trusted lieutenants have at crucial periods betrayed the leadership and the party, as was done by the MLA who again is contesting for the same post with the benevolence of DIDI. He has ditched the issue of Gorkhaland and the interest of the party as well as the people once, so what guarantee is there that he would not do it again if it befits his personal ambitions and aspirations. 

As Mao Zedong once remarked it is not the time to sit on the fence, so let us show our resolve to achieve Gorkhaland and the tenacity to fight for the cause of Gorkha and Gorkhaland and also to support the party, GJMM, irrespective of its shortcomings and disadvantages, which has, if not anything kept alive the issue of Gorkhaland and thereby the aspirations of the people by voting all its candidates to victory in the coming election. 

This Election: Why GJM?


An interesting old video was posted today in my whatsapp, which shows Dr. H B Chettri addressing a meeting somewhere in the plains. He concludes his speech saying that we will work together, walk together and reach our destination together. Yes they have worked together as well as walked and is trying to walk together to reach the destination. But  the most salient question is what is their destination? To my mind only one answer seems apt that is to dislocate the demand of Gorkhaland and those who have aspiration for the creation of Gorkhaland.
This is a critical phase in the political sphere of the hills. This period will determine the future of the demand for Gorkhaland. GJM therefore becomes an important element for all the people who have dared to dream the realisation of Gorkhaland. There is a adage in Nepali taro ko deuta bhanda chau ko bhut kaam lagcha. GJM is the chau ko bhut and therefore we can count on them to keep alive our aspiration. Many have accused them that they have sold of the issue of Gorkhaland but what needs to be remembered is that they have not given up the issue and the right to demand for the separation of hills from Bengal. In the tripartite Memorandum of Agreement Between Government of India, Government of West Bengal and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for creating an autonomous Body to be called Gorkhaland Territorial Administration they have vehemently reiterated that they would not give up the demand of Gorkhaland.  In the first page of the memorandum itself it says, 'Whereas after several rounds of tripartite meetings at the ministerial and at the official levels, the GJM, while not dropping their demand for a separate State of Gorkhaland has agreed to the setting up of an autnomous Body......'
What is important for all to understand is the fact that GJM has not given up the demand of Gorkhaland even when under pressure to sign this agreement, unlike the GNLF which surrendered the demand while signing the DGHC agreement. GNLF have forgotten their antecedence and is now again trying to attract the people of the hills into false consciousness. However, the stand of the GJM is acknowledged by both the Government of India and West Bengal, which makes the GJM very important for all the people of the hills. They did not succumb to the pressure created by the Government of West Bengal, which has now been accepted by the latter and have revised their strategy and is making use of ambitious 'party of intellectuals' as well as unsuccessful individuals and parties to weaken the tenacity of GJM and the people of the hills to demand Gorkhaland. Further, unlike GNLF, who completely failed the people and moreover let the Gorkha down by not keeping alive the demand of Gorkhaland in their zest to sign for DGHC, GJM have made the centre and the state governments realise that the demand for Gorkhaland and the struggle to achieve it will continue. The memorandum says 'Now, therefore, the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the GJM, keeping on record the demand of the GJM for a separate State of Gorkhaland agree as follows...' the creation of GTA.
The advantage we have with the GJM is the fact that they have not kept aside the demand of Gorkhaland and therefore we have to support them and make them victorious in this coming elections. If any other results follow then the authority of the GJM will be questioned by  both the governments and with that the legitimacy of the demand will also lose grounds, as they will have a point to prove that all the people of the hills do not support GJM and thereby the demand of Gorkhaland. Importantly this is what the West Bengal Government in general and TMC in particular wants to happen. What is there their strategy to make sure that such a calamity unfolds upon the people of the hills is to support JAP.
By now people of the hills have understood that JAP is in the 'front stage' only engaged in impression management. Their back stage needs to be understood. In the back stage, in reality, they are puppets in the hands of Mamata didi and their only objective is to see that they become 'Brutus' and stab the yearning of the people for Gorkhaland. Bimal Gurung has already been Julius Caesar and has already said 'et tu Brute' to the leadership of JAP when his direction to the party MLA to resign from the post of MLA was denied by none other than the face of JAP, Dr H B Chettri. Mamata Banerjee through JAP is only trying to create cleavages among the people of the hills and JAP have volunteered to be the instrument through which Mamata Banerjee can play her cards. Therefore, it becomes pertinent for the people of the hills to vote out JAP from the politics of hills. JAP has been further bolstered by the support of GNLF, another outfit who does not support the creation of Gorkhaland.
GNLF, has in the past, destroyed the hills. They were responsible for the death of many during the famed Gorkhaland agitation of the 1980s, the destruction of property and careers of many, only to achieve, constitutionally unrecognised DGHC. GNLF only was a fiefdom then, it is no better now. It is now in its lowest ebb, lacking in organisation, ideology, strategy, leadership and membership. They were dethroned by GJM and in its endeavour to take revenge on GJM it has compromised the wants and objective of the community. It has sided with TMC and JAP, two opponents of Gorkhaland. It has now become crystal clear that we have to fight together against the TMC, JAP and GNLF to uphold the glory of Gorkha community. This is a pivotal phase in our history, this election is not just another election for all the Gorkhas, it is the time to decide who we are, and what we cherish. It is the time to show all the opponents of Gorkhaland, that their false promises of development, district or for that matter anything is not going to distract us from our goal, Gorkhaland. Winning is not about proving the world wrong, but working together. So let us work together and ensure the victory of GJM in all the three constituencies and show the world that when it comes to the issue of Gorkhaland we stand united and no matter what the politics of the 'intellectuals' says we are behind GJM and those for Gorkhaland.