Ghisingh left with few options

“If Ghisingh wants to enter Darjeeling, he has to step down. People have accepted him for 21 years, but no more,” said Gorkha Janamukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, who is here to hold talks with the West Bengal Government.

Ghisingh, who came to know about the tabling of the Standing Committee’s report at a meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday morning, knew that there were very few options left for him. However, when asked by the media whether the Government had told him to resign, Ghisingh said “No”. Asked if he was resigning himself in the face of agitation, he again relied with a “No”. His close aides said Ghisingh’s return to Darjeeling appeared uncertain now. He might want to force his entry with the help of his cadres and seek security from the Government. Such a step, however, may trigger large-scale violence. The other option for him is to step down.

Meanwhile, the Left Front Government has once again invited Gurung and his team for talks on Friday afternoon. Prior to that the delegation is scheduled to meet Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Asked if the state Government plans to deploy paramilitary forces in the hills, state home secretary P R Ray said several companies of Central forces are on standby. Though there was no violence on Thursday, Government offices in the hills continued to remain closed. A senior Government official said the CM was in touch with the Union Home Ministry regarding the situation.