Trinamool Congress likely to bring motion against separate Gorkhaland state demand

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal is expected to bring a motion against the demands for a separate state of Gorkhaland at the ongoing budget session of the state legislative assembly. The TMC brought a motion recognizing the Sari and Sarna religions of the tribals in the legislative assembly on February 17, which passed. “Attempts are being made to divide Bengal. The party is expected to bring a motion against this next week. We expect every member of the House, including those in the opposition, to support this motion,” said a senior TMC leader. A notice has already been given to move the motion under Rule 185 on February 20.

West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has maintained that she would not allow a separate state to be carved out. In the past few years, several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Alipurduar member of Parliament (MP) John Barla, have demanded that north Bengal be made a separate state or a Union territory. The BJP’s official stand has been against any division of the state.

“The BJP is against the division of West Bengal. The TMC is rattled by corruption and scams. Their leaders are coming under attack whenever they are going to the villages. The party, in a bid to divert the attention of the people and the media, is taking such steps,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesperson.

This comes at a time when political parties and Gorkha organisations in the hilly areas of north Bengal have set up a committee- Bharatiya Gorkhaland Sangarsha Samiti (BGSS) – to spearhead their demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. North Bengal has been a BJP bastion even before the 2021 assembly elections.

In the 2021 assembly polls, the BJP won 30 of the 54 seats in the eight north Bengal districts even as the TMC swept back to power. The TMC won 213 of the state’s 294 seats while the BJP got 77. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 seats. In north Bengal, it secured seven of the eight seats.

The legislative assembly passed a motion brought by the TMC seeking recognition of Sari and Sarna religions of the tribals on Friday. This is being seen as a measure to consolidate tribal votes ahead of the panchayat polls. The BJP opposed the motion claiming that it was brought without proper discussion with community leaders and was aimed at wooing the tribals ahead of the panchayat polls. “It is a long-standing demand of the tribals that these religions be given recognition. But the Centre did nothing. They (BJP) claim to champion the rights of the tribals but have done nothing to recognise the religion of the tribal,” TMC minister and prominent tribal leader Birbaha Hansda told media persons.