In the wake of the recent political developments in the hills after the Central Bureau of Investigation indicted the senior leaders of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in a murder case, five political groups in Darjeeling came together on Tuesday and formed a democratic front.
“The five different groups opposed to the GJM have come together to ensure there is democracy in the hills,” Pratap Khati, the general secretary of the All-India Gorkha League and convener of the front, told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Mr Khati said that it is unfortunate that those accused of the murder of AIGL leader Madan Tamang are enjoying police protection. He was referring to the GJM leadership which runs the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the regional autonomous body in the hills.
The five parties that have come together are AIGL, Communist party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), Communist Party of India-(Marxist) [CPI-(M)], the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Sikkim Darjeeling Ekikaran Manch (SDEM). The main demand of the coalition is justice for Mr Tamang. The CBI last week had brought charges against the entire top leadership of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), including its chief Bimal Gurung, in connection with the murder of Mr Tamang. GJM MLAs along senior party leaders of the party have also been named in the charge-sheet.
The CBI was probing into the case since 2011. Meanwhile, wilting under pressure the GJM has decided to call off its public rally scheduled on June 7.
