Bimal camp hits back at Binay

Youth leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s, Bimal Gurung camp, Prakash Gurung, on Monday countered statements made by GJMM leader Binoy Tamang on Sunday and claimed that the people in the Hills will not accept any kind of “alternative arrangement.” He also said that Mr Tamang’s tirade against the Sikkim chief minister was unfortunate and that it showed his political immaturity.

In a press release the GJMM camp sent on Whatsapp from an undisclosed location, the youth leader was referring to Mr Tamang’s statement he made yesterday in a public rally in Sukna in Siliguri. Mr Tamang said that a new “set-up” was on the way, which would end the Gorkhas’ identity problem and keep the community safe within India.

He also warned the Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling and his government against “meddling” in Hill politics. “They are now speaking about bringing an arrangement as an alternative to Gorkhaland, and people should be careful of that, as both Anit (Thapa) and Binoy should know that our community will not accept anything less than Gorkhaland.

If they are trying to bring in another arrangement, they are playing with fire. Even though we are in the jungles, we have not lost hope and the people have also not accepted defeat,” Prakash Gurung said in the release posted in the camp’s social media group by another Morcha leader, Roshan Giri. “The main motive of the allegations against Sikkim and its chief minister Pawan Chamling is only to spoil the good relations we have with Sikkim since ages so that our issue gets weakened.

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had also given a similar statement when the Sikkim government had spoken in favour of Gorkhaland with home minister Rajnath Singh,” the release said. “No one has forgotten the injustice meted out to Sikkim through the blockade during the Gorkhaland agitation, and to make such statements against the neighbouring state is an unfortunate thing and it shows Binay’s political immaturity,” Mr Gurung added.

SNS