Politics in the hills of North Bengal took a surprising turn when the former Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang joined Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday, 24th December, after getting a green signal from party MP Abhishek Banerjee who is also holding the charge of the party’s all India general secretary.
Ahead of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) elections, Binay Tamang, who decided to quit the GJM party earlier this year, has joined the ruling TMC party.
Rohit Sharma, ex-legislator of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), has followed Binay to join Trinamool Congress. Both of them joined the TMC party in the presence of the senior party leaders Bratya Basu and Moloy Ghatak.
In October 2020, Bimal Gurung expressed his unconditional support to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the 2021 Assembly elections. He stated that Mamata Banerjee has always kept her word, but they never kept their word when it comes to BJP.
The TMC government declared their stance on the Gorkhaland issue by not supporting its demand for a separate state.
Binay Tamang addressed his stance on the Gorkhaland issue that the development of Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills tops the list of his priorities.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) extended a warm welcome to both Tamang and Sharma, saying,
“We extend a very warm welcome to Binay Tamang and Rohit Sharma who joined us today in the presence of Bratya Basu and Moloy Ghatak.”
The development of Hills is Tamang’s top priority, but The BJP is trying to use the statehood issue to fool the people of Darjeeling and Kalimpong. Since 2009, the party has been saying that it supports the Gorkhaland demand, but no step was so far taken in this regard.
“They (BJP leaders) have also tried to divide Bengal, but this will not be allowed. We are united. I am joining the TMC to work for the development of the Hills,” Tamang said.
Speaking recently to News18, Binay Tamang said,
“I joined TMC because of Mamata Banerjee’s immense love towards the people of Hills. There is no need for a separate Gorkhaland. People in the Hills want peace and development, which is only possible under the dynamic leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. We want to see Mamata Banerjee as the Prime Minister of India.”
Tamang also said that he did not know anything about the GTA elections, and he did not join TMC to become the chairperson of the GTA.
According to Tamang, now the GTA is being run by the District Magistrate, and he is doing a commendable job. BJP is to be held as the main culprit for playing dirty politics and showing the people of Gorkhaland a dream lollipop that BJP knew was impossible to give to the native people.
They took advantage of their innocence and tried to win their hearts with fake promises. They tried to break the relationship between the people of the hills and the plains, to turn the hill people into the main villain so that BJP prove their earnest innocence and be free from any kind of allegation.
He said,
“But I would like to highlight a few things about the GTA. Many issues need to be resolved, like pay band regularization of some of the GTA staff, more focus on the tourism sector, etc. As far as I know, 50 per cent of pending issues were resolved, but 50 per cent is needed to be heard. I believe that these issues will be solved after the GTA election.”
Binay Tamang and Bimal Gurung share a very cordial relationship, and Tamang wishes Bimal Gurung all the best for the future. Still, he avoided talking about GTA because he wants a permanent solution for the hills, and he does not consider GTA as the permanent solution. Tamang said,
“There is peace in the hills and the entire North Bengal now. You won’t get vacant hotels in Darjeeling even in the winter. There is a need for development in the hills, in health, education and tourism, and that can be achieved under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee,”
So, according to Binay Tamang, any other political party other than GTA who has way more powers and can dominate can take Tamang’s vision of development on its correct path. He wishes to visit Mamata Banerjee in Darjeeling soon to sit and discuss the issues related to the hills.
He is sure that there will be a solution for the people of the mountains, and he might be able to give his people the hope of developing, which they deserve.
