Two statehood movements move to Delhi

SILIGURI: Two separate campaigns for statehood originating from north Bengal—one for ‘Gorkhaland’ and the other for ‘Greater Cooch Behar’--moved to the national capital this week, with hundreds of supporters converging to press their demands.

Supporters of Greater Cooch Behar People’s Party (GCPP) started a hunger strike in Delhi on Wednesday demanding statehood for the districts of northern West Bengal. “We have held demonstrations in Delhi in 2006 and 2011. Despite ensuring constitutional recognition for Cooch Behar, the Centre did nothing to confirm it,” said campaign president N Roy.

The Greater Cooch Behar movement, though old, came under the spotlight in September 2005 after over a lakh campaigners went on hunger strike in Cooch Behar town. The movement, which continued for days, turned violent, causing death of three policemen and two activists.

Administrative action by the then West Bengal government and tactical political activities of the Left parties suppressed it then, but it resurfaced with leaders showing renewed zeal.
A day earlier, on Tuesday, supporters of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), an ally of the BJP, started a 10-day-long demonstration, complaining against what they termed as “Centre’s apathy” towards their demand.

“We have been talking on this demand during all the sessions of parliament with many senior leaders in Delhi. In turn, they also gave many assurances. But nothing fruitful has come up so far,” said leader of the movement and GJM general secretary, R Giri.
Over a hundred GJM supporters, including public representatives of the party, are taking part in the demonstration under his leadership at Jantar Mantar, the centuries-old observatory that has become popular with protesters.

The BJP, which had GJM’s support in the last two parliamentary elections, had mentioned “Relevance of Gorkhaland demand” in its election manifesto in both the years, but so far, no reflection of that has come from the government under the BJP, said Giri, adding, “It is unfortunate.”

GJM has been pressing its demand for statehood since 2007.