When the Hill-based Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), a close ally of the NDA, is politically working with the BJP, the Congress may beg votes from the Hill people highlighting the dream of founder GNLF president the Late Subash Ghisingh.
According to political observers, apparently there is no ray of hope for seat adjustment between the Congress and the Trinamul Congress, the former will field its candidate for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat showcasing the Sixth Schedule status to fulfil Ghisingh’s dream.
Observers have come to the conclusion following the speech of Congress’ Leader of Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the Parliament on the issue of the Sixth Schedule.
Mr Chowdhury drew the attention of the Union home minister Amit Shah, especially yesterday, describing the issue as a long-standing demand of the Hill people.
Mr Chowdhury raised the issue of Ladakh and the problem of Darjeeling Hills.
Notably, the Gorkha leader as well as the general secretary of Pradesh Congress, Binoy Tamang, who had joined hands with the Trinamul Congress allegedly betraying Bimal Gurung during 104-day-long agitation, said, “On behalf of the Gorkhas and the Darjeeling Hills, I express my sincere gratitude to the Leader of Oppositions in Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The Congress party is the party that always supports the Gorkhas, Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai, and Dooars.”
“As in the past, in future as well, the Congress and its top leaders will definitely raise the voice for the constitutional and political justice of the Gorkhas and the regions as a whole for finding out solutions – we are confident,” Mr Tamang added.
Notably, Mr Ghisingh’s last dream was that the DGHC (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) should have come under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Significantly, as Ghisingh was trying hard to obtain the Sixth Schedule status for the Hill, finally this issue had split his party and his close associates, led by Bimal Gurung and Roshan Giri, who started demanding a separate setup for Gorkhaland during the Left regime in West Bengal.
Interestingly, both the GNLF president Mann Ghishing and Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha president (GJMM) Bimal Gurung extended their support to the BJP on the issue of permanent political solution (PPS) ahead of Lok Sabha Polls in 2019.
But very significantly, not only the anti-BJP forces but also Bimal Gurung himself frequently asks, “Where is PPS?”
On this issue, the Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has recently said, “While the Congress has only diverted and deceived, the BJP is committed to justice for the people of the North Bengal region. Let there be no doubt, the BJP stands for progress, equality, and genuine representation for the people.”
“It is the BJP-led government that is working towards granting Schedule Tribe Status to the 11 left-out Gorkha sub-tribes and ‘constitutional solution’ for our region,” Mr Bista added.