The formation of an apolitical Hill Youth Forum was announced on Tuesday by a former aide of Bimal Gurung, one in a series of such initiatives in the hills which clearly points out that some in the hills are increasingly losing trust in political parties “to solve the issues of the land”.

Sanjeev Lama, who was on the run with Bimal Gurung for more than three-and-a-half-years on Tuesday, said “aware youths” decided to form the apolitical forum to take forward “issues of the land” that are political in nature.

“We announce the formation of Hill Youth Forum. People in the hills are confused why problems of the land have not been solved. Political parties have their own agenda,” said Lama.

Lama was actively involved with Gurung’s Gorkha Janmukti Morcha but in recent months distanced himself from Gurung. Many believe this is largely because Gurung decided to join hands with Trinamul in October 2020.

Gurung decided to support Trinamul in the 2021 Bengal Assembly polls. Lama backed an Independent from Darjeeling. The seat, however, was won by Neeraj Zimba of GNLF who contested on a BJP ticket.

“We will take forward our demands constitutionally. We will speak to aware youths and citizens to take forward our demands,” said Lama.

The forum’s spokesman, Lochan Gurung, asked: “Why are panchayat elections not being held in hills? Why are various administrative interventions not taking place?” Panchayat elections were last held in the hills in 2000.

This is however not the first “apolitical platform” trying to take forward political issues of the hills.

Kishore Pradhan, who recently quit the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), a party currently in alliance with the BJP in Darjeeling, announced “an apolitical platform which will work like a political platform”. Pradhan is supported by former CPRM leader Bindiya Dukpa.

After the Gorkhaland agitation in 2017, the highlight of which was the 104-day total shutdown with no concrete returns, another apolitical platform National Gorkhaland Committee is also trying to take up political issues of Darjeeling hills, which include creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland or “permanent political solution.”

“It is obvious many in the hills perceive politics to be in complete disarray. This is why many, who can’t immediately float a political party, are trying to create space through these forums,” said an observer.

Anit Thapa, who was Binay Tamang’s second-in-command for years, is set to form a political party in early September.

Many in the hills say that after the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation, no leader has been able to establish himself where politics is governed by the emotive issue of Gorkhaland. “The decision of Gurung, Tamang and Thapa to join hands with Trinamul (for Assembly polls) did not go well with people if poll results are any yardstick,” said the observer.

Even though BJP-GNLF and its allies have won three elections after 2017 they have not been able to assert themselves as the ruling party in the hills as Trinamul allies are still considered more powerful in solving local issues.

“There is a complete vacuum in terms of political leadership in the hills now. The BJP-GNLF has been winning elections but they are yet to be seen as parties that rule the roost in the hills,” said an observer.