West Bengal Election 2021: In Darjeeling, Amit Shah promises permanent solution to problems of Gorkha community

Amit Shah also said that if BJP comes to power, it will build a herbal park and renovate all the Cinchona parks in the region.

West Bengal Election 2021: Ahead of the fifth phase voting in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah today promised a constitutional solution to the problems of the Gorkha community. “Today, on this auspicious day, I am telling all of you that a lasting political solution to the problems of the Gorkha community will be established with the cooperation of the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state and at the Centre….I know all of you are thinking about what can be the permanent political solution to the problem of Gorkhas, but our constitution has the solution to all the problems,” said Shah without delving much into the plan.

Earlier this month, Amit Shah had reiterated his promise saying that the Centre is working on granting Adivasi status to 11 Gorkha communities. The BJP had made a similar promise ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The BJP had promised to find a permanent political solution to the Gorkha community’s long-standing demand for Gorkhaland and Schedule Tribe status to 11 Gorkha sub-communities. The community has been fighting for a separate state since the 1980s and has witnessed multiple violent protests.

There are three assembly seats in the region which the TMC has left for its ally GJM (Bimal). The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) factions are led by Bimal Gurung and Binoy Tamang. Since GJM Tamang will also be contesting the polls separately, the BJP is eying a win in all the three seats of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong by fielding its candidates, sidelining its allies GNLF and CPRM.

“The three Darjeeling seats are very important for the BJP. Of the 200 seats of the BJP in Bengal, there will be a victory on 197 seats on one side and another 3 from this region….Gorkhas need to be brought to the mainstream. They’ve always sacrificed themselves for the nation,” said Shah.

Amit Shah also said that if BJP comes to power, it will build a herbal park and renovate all the Cinchona parks in the region. He said that the biggest problem in Darjeeling is drinking water and the BJP government will quickly resolve this issue.

He said that once a BJP government is formed in the state, it will change Darjeeling Municipality into the Darjeeling Municipal Corporation. He said that the BJP government will work to give official status to the Gorkha language. The Union Home Minister also promised to withdraw all the cases registered against protesters of the Gorkha community.

“Darjeeling is one of the most beautiful cities in India and is one of the oldest established cities in India. It received the first electric connection in India, in 1897. India’s second oldest municipality was built here in 1850,” said Shah recalling Darjeeling’s role in the independence of the country.

He alleged that the Congress and CPI-M had deprived the state of development after independence. He urged voters to strengthen PM Narendra Modi’s hand by voting for the BJP.