Public meetings of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s two factions separated by nearly 100km on Sunday sent a clear message that the politics of the Darjeeling hills still remained unsettled though the BJP is a common enemy of both the camps.

The Binay Tamang faction issued a veiled but strong message to the Trinamul Congress that it should not be taken lightly. This is despite the fact that the Tamang faction is an ally of Trinamul which is in power in Bengal.

“The government must understand. We were the ones to douse the fire of 2017 (during the Gorkhaland agitation). The person who can douse a fire also knows how to ignite a fire,” Tamang told the public meeting at Sukna in Darjeeling district.

Binay Tamang at the rally in Sukna. Passang Yolmo

Tamang added that he was “a tiger” but he should not be teased just because he was quite “and sleeping in the morning”. “When I wake up in the afternoon, I, too, eat meat.”

Many interpreted the statement as an attempt by Tamang to harden his stand against the state government.

Tamang’s deputy Anit Thapa who is nominated by the state government to head the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration also said “two khukris” should not be kept in the same sheath.
The message from the two leaders was clear that they were in no mood to accept Trinamul’s decision to ally with Bimal Gurung.

Nearly a 100km away at Birpara in Alipurduar district, Gurung targeted the BJP.

“During Narendra Modi’s visit to Birpara, Modi had told me that our (Gorkhas’) problem is their problem. But in the past 10 years, they (BJP) did nothing but only used us,” said Gurung.
He also claimed Alipurduar BJP MP John Barla and Birpara BJP MLA Manoj Tigga had won their seats because of the Morcha’s support.

“I asked Amit Shah to give the BJP ticket to John and promised his victory. Birpara MLA Manoj Tigga also won with our support. I would request adivasis, Rajbanshis, Biharis and other people not to vote for the BJP,” said Gurung.

A political observer pointed out that while Gurung seemed to be clear in his stand against the BJP, the Tamang camp looked tough on Trinamul.

“The Binay Tamang-Anit Thapa camp seems to be trying to send a message that Trinamul should not cosy up to Gurung. The statement is an indication that Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa have come off age and that they, too, should not be taken lightly,” said an observer.

The statements by leaders from both the camps suggest that politics in the hills has not settled ever since Gurung declared his support for Trinamul on October 21.

“The complete story of hill politics has not unfolded. The tone of the speeches of the leaders of both the camps suggests that there could be realignment in hill politics once again,” said an observer of hill politics.