Darjeeling’s hill parties, TMC highlight Gorkha issues missing from BJP election manifesto

TMC’s ally in the hills, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), targeted the BJP-led government at the Centre for allegedly fooling the people in the hills for the last 15 years.

“The BJP’s manifesto has no mention of the Gorkhas. At the same time, the manifesto states that development activities in the hill states will go on in coordination with the state government. The elections are fought on the basis of development everywhere. But only in the Darjeeling hills have people been hoodwinked for the past 15 years to get votes,” said BGPM president Anit Thapa, president of BGPM.

Hamro Party-backed Congress candidate Munish Tamang said, “The BJP has finally spoken the truth regarding the Gorkhas in its election manifesto. They are not serious about the demands of the Gorkha community.”

There was no official reaction from the BJP’s ally Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which was once a major hill party that spearheaded the 104-day shutdown in Darjeeling hills in 2017 over separate statehood demand (Gorkhaland).

This election, the GJM, which has lost ground to other hill parties over the years, supports BJP candidate Raju Bista, while the BGPM is backing the TMC candidate Gopal Lama. Meanwhile, Hamro Party joined the INDIA bloc, backing the Congress candidate Munish Tamang. The Left is not contesting from Darjeeling this time as part of its unofficial seat-sharing understanding within the INDI bloc in West Bengal.

The BJP, which has won the constituency since 2009, had previously changed its winners Jaswant Singh and SS Ahluwalia in the subsequent elections. But this time, it has retained the sitting MP, Raju Bista, who won by a landslide margin of over 4 lakh votes in 2019.

Bista defended the BJP’s manifesto. “We must understand that the election manifesto has been presented differently this time. Earlier, the manifesto used to be a charter of demands, but this time, it has been framed around policies keeping 2047 in mind. The prime minister recently said we are near resolving the Gorkha issues. We are progressing,” said Bista.

Last month, while addressing a public meeting in northern Bengal’s Jalpaiguri,Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the Centre is nearing a solution for its “Gorkha brothers and sisters”.

“The BJP is always sensitive towards the struggles and challenges faced by our Gorkha brothers and sisters… The BJP has always worked to address their concerns. Now we are nearing a solution for them. The BJP will continue its efforts to fulfill your aspirations,” PM Modi had said.

In 2014, the BJP initially failed to mention anything related to Darjeeling hills in its manifesto and it caused discontent among its ally GJM. Later, the BJP came up with an addendum: “The BJP reiterates that it will sympathetically examine and appropriate consider the long-pending demands of the Gorkhas, the Adivasis and other people of the Darjeeling district and Dooars; of the Kamtapuri, Rajbonshi and other people of North Bengal (including recognition of their language)…”

In the 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto, the BJP said, “We will recognise the 11 left-out Indian Gorkha sub-tribes as Schedule Tribes. We are also committed to implementing the reservation in the legislative assembly of Sikkim for Limboo and Tamang tribes. We are committed to working towards finding a permanent political solution to the issue of Darjeeling Hills, Siliguri Terai, and Dooars region.”

However, the BJP election manifesto mentioned hills only on page 64 this time. It said, “Sustainable Development of Hill States: We will continue to protect and preserve the unique ecological balance of Bharat’s hill states through sustainable development initiatives. We will work with state governments and local bodies to prepare a special master plan to maintain their pristine beauty and biodiversity, taking into account the local geography, culture and traditional practices, for the balanced development of hilly areas.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, TMC vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said, ” In the 2014 election manifesto, the BJP added the Gorkhaland issue later as an additional point. This was done to appease the Gorkha community and win the election. It was an opportunistic move. In 2019, they promised to find a permanent political solution for the community. However, this time in their manifesto, there is no such mention. Therefore, it is clear that they have failed to fulfil the promises made in the last 10 years.”

He added, “They are totally silent on hill issues because they knowthat they are not winning the Darjeeling seat. That’s why they are not putting much attention to the seat.”

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya told The Indian Express that Gorkha issues cannot be resolved unless a BJP government is elected in West Bengal.

“There is no clear consensus regarding Gorkhaland issues in Darjeeling hills. The TMC government has divided the Gorkha communities in the hills. Instead of creating unrest, the state government should play a constructive role in creating a consensus. The state government is hostile when it comes to addressing such issues. Because of the TMC government’s hostility and instigation, there is unrest in the hills,” said Bhattacharya.