HOPES AND REALITIES… THE DARJEELING SAGA

HOPES AND REALITIES…
THE DARJEELING SAGA

Patting one’s own back, that too in print, isn’t too cleaver thing to do, but then I think for once I can gloat over the fact that I got this one spot on.. I had written just after the Assembly Elections {(Big B, Big Brother & the Big Fight), Himalayan Mirror and www. Kalimponghimalayantimes.blogspot.com}, that the fate of the GNLF would be decided by its performance in the elections.
My analysis was that if GNLF polled less than 5% of the total votes, its leadership would need no coxing to rush back to the safe confines of their newly acquired flats in Siliguri without the GJM forcing them too (like it happened in Kalimpong and Darjeeling) and if they polled 5% to 15% of he votes, then there would be a conflict (like it happened in Kurseong) and if they polled anything above 15% of the votes, they would stay put in the Hills. To each of the above scenarios, was attached “hopes” of a certain section of the Hill Society- while the GJM had “hoped” that the GNLF would secure less than 5% of the votes, thereby run away from the Hills on their own, the general public (we the common man) had “hoped” that they wouldn’t get between 5% to 15% so as not to suffer a fate akin to a tomato between a grinding stone.
The GNLF of course had “hoped” to secure more than 15% of the votes which would have probably given their hopes of staying back in the Hills, some amount of credible backing. But then, hopes count for nothing.. No future is based on hope alone- the future is always a case of reaping what was sown in the past- and in the case of GNLF, being the gurus of modern day politics in the Darjeeling Hills, Gheshing and his men were the one who initiated the Politics of Violence, the Politics of banishing all opposition parties and their leadership and the Politics of hate. Hence it is but the law of nature that they now have to reap what they had earlier sown. Gheshing and him men brooked no opposition during their days. In the mid and late 1980’s how the CPM leadership and its supporters as well as all other opposition leaders were hounded out of the Darjeeling Hills ( If they were lucky enough to be alive), their houses razed to the ground and how their families were treated as virtual outcasts, is still vivid in the public memory. Since they themselves set these very loath able practices, they should be the last ones to complain now.
But then if they should be the last ones to complain, who should be the first ones to complain??? The answer is simple –you and me …….it is people like you and me , people who think of the society , people who can realize the future of next generation , people who want a stable, sound, well meaning and progressive Hill society, people who want their children to grow up to be the guardians of the future who should be the first ones to complains. The politics of hatred will take the Hills nowhere- rather the Hills of Darjeeling and its people will get sucked in further into this deadly whirl-pool of violence.
I remember, some of the fancy slogans I shouted during my days as a student leader during those troubled days of the late 1980’s. One of them said “Party bhanda jath thulo” (community is bigger than political party)……sadly, it appears this slogan was used only for its rhythmic value ……Its high time we discard this narrow thinking of ours on political lines and embrace a line of thinking which is more in tune with other progressive thinking communities. Why cannot we have the GJM, GNLF, ABGL, CPR(M) and all other hill parties on one platform fighting for one common goal till it is achieved?? Once the ultimate goal is achieved, all their parties can go back to their fighting best…..we promise to cheer them up everyday too…
We really have to learn from the Bengali Community…….Though I am so fan of Miss Mamta Banerjee, the new CM of West Bengal I have to say this for her. Her fight with the CPM was the most bitter of all political rivalries in modern India, yet she personally sent invitation’s to the CPM leadership for the swearing in ceremony, seated them in the front row and greeted them with folded hands. If the Bengalese were to carry out our primitive political practices, then Buddhedev and company would have been living in Orissa or Bihar by now……By this simple yet very shrewd act, Mamta has won the co-operation of the CPM leadership for at least a couple of months. I wonder why the political leadership on the Darjeeling hills cannot do these simple acts of courtesy even if just to show a united face to the world??
While on the subject of Mamta and her new government I guess I can take a quick detour from the main theme of this article and dedicated one paragraph to her and what I think her government has in store for us. Well I told you before I am no fan of hers- so maybe my views on her and her party may sound a little biased. I have been following her political career for quite sometime now and if my assessment is correct, I get the feelings that she can do anything for power (which she did) and will do everything now to retain power (which I am sure she will do). Bengal till about four year back was one of the most peaceful states in the country. Now, we have Juglemahal, Nandigram, Singur, Rajahat, the Maoist, and a whole lot of other trouble spots …….. While one may be inclined the blame the Left Front government for all the chaos (which they are to an extent due to their mis-governance) the fact is all these spots have a “Trinamul” hand behind it. Mamta and her men actively instigated and fueled the uprising against the democratically elected government, and we all know that many of these revolts against the government were not actually merited. At Singur, thousands of jobs would have been created and it would have revolutionized Bengal. Who lost ultimately?? Bengal of course and its loss is now Gujarat’s pride…but then it brought Mamta to power in Bengal. And as far as her assertion of turning Darjeeling into Switzerland is concerned – well does Bengal have the money for that?? It hardly has money to pay its employees, and each year it is falling further into a debt trap- so forget about Switzerland we would be lucky if our state government employees keep receiving their salary. My assessment is that Bengal is heading for worse time and we in the Darjeeling Hills can brace ourselves to face the brunt of it as after all we are not the ones who voted Mamta into power and whether you like it or not –we , despite , being in Bengal are not actually Bengalese. It’s a sad situation but it’s the hard truth….
Ok lets come back to what this article is actually is all about – and it was the low level of politics we were discussing about. So what remedy do I suggest now– I have to suggest one because without coming out with one, this article will have a head but lack the tail which will make this article a monster. I definitely cannot suggest a change in the present leadership (and you know why) so the next best thing would be to make suggestion to those close to the leadership about the merits of presenting a united force to the world. We have to realize the fact that this fight of ours for separation is no longer just a political fight. It is now a matter of sentiments between the Bengali population and Gurkha population of West Bengal. They number about 7 corers while we numbered 16 lakhs – and they are united in their opinion and fight against a separate state while we still are quarrelling between ourselves like stupid kids. As it is the numbers are against us, 7 corers versus 16 lakhs, itself is a very unequal battle and if even within the 16 lakhs, there are divisions, the battle can never be won.
Its time we become a mature community – Once we attain maturity, I am sure the path to a separate state would become less thorny. Of course the Set-Up, (Interim- Set Up to the politically correct) it seems has been agreed upon and despite what people may say, I think it is a step in the right direction. It’s the best bet under present circumstances as complete separation from Bengal at the moment seems a pretty farfetched dream. Everyone needs to pass the first term and half-yearly examination before having a go at the final examination. The GJM leadership wants us to believe that the Interim Set-Up is our Half-yearly examination and we need to be successful in this before we can sit for the Final examinations, which in our case is a Separate State. Not believing them could turn out to be pretty hazardous hence let’s not disagree for the moment. No doubt political compulsions have dictated the GJM in accepting the current proposal but then for the people of Darjeeling this arrangement will no doubt bring hopes for peace and development.
Here again there is a catch – if the proposed Interim Council is run by people like the ones who ran Ghesing’s DGHC , then its back to square one. Hopefully the GJM leadership will realize that sustaining an agitation and running a Government are two completely different ball games and now they need a different set of people to come on to the forefront to run a administration which can take Darjeeling towards the final examination – But then, like I said earlier too, hopes and realities, don’t always match…. let’s hope better sense prevails this true…