North Bengal seems headed for a fresh bout of unrest after eight organisations and political parties in the region have come together to form a common platform to push for a separate state. They have set up a forum, named the United Front for Separate State (UFSS), which was formed at a meeting held on the outskirts of Siliguri.
Those who have joined the forum are the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung, the Kamtapur Progressive Party, Kamtapur the Peoples’ Party (United), a faction of the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association, the Jay Birsa Munda Ulganam, the SC ST OBC Movement Committee, the Akhil Bharatiya Rajbanshi Samaj and the Bhumiputra United Party.
“We have formed an eight-member core committee with a representative from each organisation. The committee will chalk out programmes for the UFSS to press for our longstanding demand through democratic movements. Once the festivities are over, we will take up political activities across the region,” said Uttam Roy, the spokesperson of the UFSS.
Bimal Gurung, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president, who was present at the meeting, told The Daily Guardian: “We have formed a united forum to work collectively for the demand of statehood. Soon, the forum will submit memorandums to the State and the Central Governments, seeking appointments for talks on the issue. We want to know what plans both these Governments have regarding the eight parliamentary constituencies of north Bengal where the demand has been raised time and again.”
Adhir Roy of the Kamtapur Progressive Party was selected as chairperson of the committee. Dipendra Niraula of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been nominated as its coordinator. Most of these parties and organisations have their own statehood demands. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha wants Gorkhaland. The Rajbanshi outfits want Kamtapur or Greater Cooch Behar state.
After the upcoming Durga Puja festivities, the umbrella organisation will organise a mega rally in Siliguri, during which they will put forth their demand. In due course, it has plans to organise similar rallies in Kolkata and New Delhi.
The Trinamool Congress reacted sharply to the development. The party is against any further division of West Bengal. It blamed the BJP for being the catalyst behind the fresh development. Senior leaders in Kolkata said that the nomination of Kamtapur leader Ananta Maharaj to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP and the party’s clandestine support had led to the formation of the forum.
“It seems the BJP is trying to play divisive politics again by stoking the sentiments of these people and instigating them to rake up the issue again as the Lok Sabha polls are ahead. Such strategies of the saffron camp will not work,” said a senior Trinamul leader in Siliguri.
BJP leaders denied the charge. “Our lawmakers are vocal against the state government for apathy towards north Bengal. But we have no connection with these parties or the new forum,” a north Bengal BJP leader said.