TUESDAY, 07 JUNE 2011 09:07 WRITTEN BY INDIAN EXPRESS
Last Saturday, Darjeeling paid homage to its founder — Lt General George W. Aylmer Lloyd — for the first time, in an effort to excavate and preserve its history. The all-round optimism a new administration ushers in after unseating a regime in power for too long could not have left the Darjeeling Hills untouched. Such was the animosity between Kolkata and Darjeeling under the erstwhile Left Front government that the problem of “Gorkhaland” seemed intractable. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) did talk once in a while. However, these talks were almost always still-born, undertaken with deep distrust and even downright hostility. Now, there’s a new administration at the Writers’ Buildings and, notwithstanding the criminal allegations, the GJM has overwhelmingly secured the people’s mandate in the Hills, winning all four assembly seats.
With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making explicit her interest in solving the problem, the first meeting between GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the new CM went off cordially last week. Banerjee has been unequivocal about not dividing Bengal, but the atmospherics were very positive. On both sides, the message was to be “optimistic” and “positive” about the future. The Hills however need much more than the CM’s promised visit. The area needs development and upgrade of infrastructure, such as roads and drinking water. The government plans to go on a job drive in the Hills, such as recruiting police personnel. More urgently, there must be progress on the new interim council. The Hills have been without governance since the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council expired three years ago. Banerjee’s real task in the Hills, apart from the right words and gestures, has not even begun.
Meanwhile, the GJM has to handle the challenge from other Gorkha political outfits closely watching the goings-on, particularly their already vocal criticism of Gurung allegedly relegating the demand for a separate “Gorkhaland” to the backroom. The Trinamool-Congress government and the GJM will have a lot of ground to cover while this optimism born of novelty lasts. Honeymoons are short; marriages are long and need working on to last.
Source: http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/main-news/general/2898-darjeeling-dawn.html
With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making explicit her interest in solving the problem, the first meeting between GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the new CM went off cordially last week. Banerjee has been unequivocal about not dividing Bengal, but the atmospherics were very positive. On both sides, the message was to be “optimistic” and “positive” about the future. The Hills however need much more than the CM’s promised visit. The area needs development and upgrade of infrastructure, such as roads and drinking water. The government plans to go on a job drive in the Hills, such as recruiting police personnel. More urgently, there must be progress on the new interim council. The Hills have been without governance since the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council expired three years ago. Banerjee’s real task in the Hills, apart from the right words and gestures, has not even begun.
Meanwhile, the GJM has to handle the challenge from other Gorkha political outfits closely watching the goings-on, particularly their already vocal criticism of Gurung allegedly relegating the demand for a separate “Gorkhaland” to the backroom. The Trinamool-Congress government and the GJM will have a lot of ground to cover while this optimism born of novelty lasts. Honeymoons are short; marriages are long and need working on to last.
Source: http://www.darjeelingtimes.com/main-news/general/2898-darjeeling-dawn.html