Anti-GJM winds in Hills

DARJEELING: Tainted with allegations of corruption and atrocities and of betraying the separate statehood cause, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) seems to be losing ground on the political field with supporters deserting the party fold and joining opposition ranks.
The latest desertion took place late on Thursday with eight families of the Lower Borbotte Busty, owing allegiance to GJM, joining the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF).The families of J P Subba, president of GJM's Bharatiya Gorkha Bhutpurwa Sainik Morcha's (BGBSM) Borbotte unit, Manda Thapa, K B Thapa, Krishna Bahadur Tamang, Kumar Rai, Suresh Rai, D B Thapa and Kumar Rai formally submitted their resignation on Thursday. All of them are former soldiers.
"We used to support the GNLF. We started supporting the GJM because of their fight for a separate state. But now it seems that we are being betrayed. Peace and democracy has been squashed by the GJM," said Subba. Lower Borbotte Busty falls under the Rishihat Valley constituency, comprising seven villages.
With confusion prevailing over implementation of an interim set-up in the Hills and the GJM leadership making it obvious that a separate Gorkhaland state was not possible in the present situation, hordes of supporters have started defecting to the opposition party ranks. "We will not force others to leave GJM. But henceforth we will work towards achieving peace and democracy in the Hills. An interim arrangement cannot be the solution," said Subba. Incidentally, Neeta Subba, whose house was allegedly ransacked by GJM supporters on Sunday, is his relative.
On Thursday, GNLF formed a village committee in Ghoom-Jorebungalow with the members of 40 houses. Similar committees have started operating in the tea gardens under Kurseong subdivision recently. "We support the demand for the implementation of Sixth Schedule in the Hills as it is the best option in the present circumstances," said Shiv Raj Thapa, the GNLF's Darjeeling unit spokesperson. It was the Sixth Schedule issue that proved to be the bane for GNLF leader Subash Ghisingh, and the GJM rode the wave of the people's resentment to take over the reigns of the Hills in 2008.
Having tasted the bitter experience of taking the people for granted, it is learnt that the GNLF is now overhauling its ranks and folds, giving way to fresh and young faces with the mantra of peace and non-violence.