The Telegraph

Siliguri, Dec. 23: ABGL president Madan Tamang today accused the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the Centre and the state government of entering into an “understanding” and planning to “impose” another council like the DGHC on the people of the hills.

The charge came a day after he lauded the fourth round of tripartite talks for taking the demand for Gorkhaland in the “right direction”.

Tamang, known for his diatribe against the Morcha, this time decided to air his reactions to the December 21 talks at a media conference here.

“Outcome of the so-called tripartite meeting and the information we have with us indicate that the Morcha and the two governments are into an understanding and trying to make a fool of the hill people. They are trying to impose another council on us and bury our aspirations,” Tamang said. “It is interesting to note that the Morcha raised Gorkhaland at the fourth round of talks and not earlier. We consider this as a victory of the hill people as their pressure prompted the Morcha leaders to raise the issue.”

The ABGL leader demanded that Morcha chief Bimal Gurung and leaders like Roshan Giri and Amar Lama take part in hunger strikes. “It is a question of supreme sacrifice. No GLP (Gorkhaland Personnel) was raised and no dress code was imposed in Telangana but the integrity of the top leadership in Andhra made the Centre sit up. Why can’t Gurung and others take the same route instead of forcing common supporters into the hunger strike?” Tamang said.

On one side, the Morcha leaders were asking the student wing to resort to hunger strikes, while, on the other, their own children are studying in Delhi, Bangalore and other places, the ABGL chief alleged. “The leaders should bring their children to Darjeeling and ask them to start an indefinite fast to prove their integrity.”

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