?If Telangana is promised, can Gorkhaland be far behind?? was the chant that rocked the hills on Thursday after the announcement by Union home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday. The hills greeted the announcement with a 96-hour bandh, starting December 14, announced by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung. The Morcha, fighting for a separate Gorkahland state, also announced that from Friday 21 Gorkha youths each from Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Siliguri and the Dooars will begin a fast unto death demanding a similar announcement by the Centre regarding Gorkhaland.
The hills, preparing for tri-partite talks between the West Bengal government, the Centre and the GJM on December 21, sprang into combat mode soon after the Telangana announcement. Firecrackers were burst in many parts of the hills and processions, candle light rallies were taken out in the hills as well as the plains of Siliguri and the Dooars.
Amar Lama, a senior leader of the GJM, said the expectations in the hills have gone up after the announcement, but things are under control. ?We are waiting for the December 21 talks and hopeful about its outcome,? said Lama.
The announcement on Telangana, just 10 days ahead of the tripartite talks, gives a totally new dimension to the problem in the hills, said senior state government officials. ?It comes as an impetus to the Morcha? said a state home department officer.
The government received reports that a four-member Morcha delegation, led by Roshan Giri, general secretary, GJM, flew to Delhi on Thursday to hold talks with different political parties and the Union home ministry.
?It will open a Pandora?s box as the Centre will have to consider conferring statehood to several other regions clamouring for similar status. Of course, this will embolden the GJM and they will now bargain hard for a separate state?, said Ashok Bhattacharya, minister for urban development, who is from Siliguri.