Is Democracy dying in Darjeeling?

Bimal Gurung, chief of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,has ‘exiled’ Mr Subash Ghishing. As a senior journalist puts it, Subash Ghisingh’s departure from Darjeeling captures all that is wrong with politics in the hills.

For more than two decades, the ruling party or group in Darjeeling has, mostly through violence and coercion, left no space for any opponent. For one, I cannot forget the brutal murder of Madan Tamang, an astute politician, and a gentleman, by  Gurung's 'supporters'.

Ironically, it was Ghisingh himself, who started this trend. Ghishing, a popular leader in the 80's, slowlyfashioned himself into the dictator of Darjeeling, silencing opponents with violence and coercion. 

Nevertheless, Bimal Gurung’s ‘diktat’ is unfair and undemocratic. Two wrongs don't make a right.

The elections in North Bengal have shown that the candidates of Gurung’s party, the GJM is popular. The election results also show that Ghisingh’s party, the Gorkha National Liberation Front, does not enjoy the kind of popular support that the GJM does. o isn’t it unethical and unnecessary for Gurung to serve a ‘ quit notice’ on Ghisingh?

This demonstrates, the collapse of the rule of law in Darjeeling during the Left regime in West Bengal. The argument that Mr Ghisingh’s presence in Darjeeling is a threat to its peace holds no water. In fact, it’s anti-democratic.

Madan Tamang fatally wounded

There’s a vacuum in democratic politics in Darjeeling, that has to be addressed by the new West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. There has been no local administration of any kind in the hills since the expiry of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council’s term three years ago. Mamta-di will have to find a solution to the GJM’s demand for a special political status for the hills. She has always opposed the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland, and we’ll be watching how she uses the GJM’s friendly equations with her to find a political resolution to this issue that’s been hanging fire for over thirty years.

The talks over a new political or administrative status for Darjeeling will take time, but civic and economic issues in the hills need the new government’s urgent attention.