Liquor ban & party purge on agenda
- Morcha movement from November 7, panchayat offices to be shut down too OUR CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph
Gorkhaland Personnel perform at Chowrastha on Sunday. Pictures by Suman Tamang
Darjeeling, Oct. 25: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today announced a fresh set of agitation programmes, which includes a “ban” on off-liquor shops from November 7.
The agitation could also culminate in the declaration of Gorkhaland if the next round of talks fail in December, the Morcha leader threatened. It will, however, start with the expulsion of corrupt leaders from the party..
The “ban” on the liquor shops has been aimed at blocking the government’s revenue collection. “During the festive period, the Bengal government collected Rs 40-50 crore as excise duty from liquor sales in the hills,” Gurung said. The Morcha announcement has come as a blow to hotels and restaurants. “We buy our supplies from the off-shops (which do not have bars or where liquor can only be bought) and about 70 per cent of visitors to restaurant-cum-bars consume alcohol. We will lose a lot of revenue because of this,” a hotel owner said.
Sales from the off-shops had picked up ever since the Gorkhaland Personnel, the voluntary squad of the Morcha, cracked down on liquor being smuggled in from Sikkim that was available to locals at much cheaper rates. By Gurung's estimates, the sales had peaked during the festive season that began with Vishwakarma Puja on September 17 and continued through Diwali.
While the state excise department might lose out on revenue, the 70-odd establishments — off-shops as well as hotels and restaurants with bars — might have to bear the brunt. However, none of them were forthcoming in revealing the sales figures. “About 70 per cent of our clientele order drinks. For each bill that we draw up, at least 50 per cent is spent on liquor,” said the manager of a restaurant in town.
The “ban” is expected to mount pressure on the government before the next round of tripartite talks to be held in Darjeeling, similar to the non-cooperation movement launched by the Morcha before the first round of talks last year. The party had then asked the people of the hills to refrain from paying their electricity bills.
Addressing a programme to mark the end of a month-long cultural fest at Chowrastha, Gurung did not spare his party members too.
“During the two-year agitation, many leaders have bought expensive cars, built houses, sat with engineers in hotel rooms and accepted money and amassed wealth. I have a complete report on them and the party’s secretary will start sending notices to all of them from tomorrow,” he told the gathering.
Gurung said the expulsion notices would be first sent to Kalimpong.
This is the first time that Gurung has admitted that his party members are involved in corruption. He said tainted leaders were in all wings of the party.
The Morcha has also decided to restart using Gorkhaland on signboards. But, unlike in the past, it will refrain from replacing “West Bengal” from the government signboards for sometime.
“I will declare Gorkhaland and will impose home rule. During the time, the Gorkhaland Personnel will collect tea, motor vehicle, boulder and other taxes if the December talks are inconclusive,” Gurung said.
The Morcha also felicitated a dozen sportspersons, artists and writers from Darjeeling. Former footballer Shyam Thapa was among those who were presented with one tola (a little less than 10gm) of gold, a citation and a khukuri each.
GJM ire on booze shops, panchayat
Times of India
Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung announced a slew of agitation programmes to keep the Gorkhaland momentum going ahead of the fourth round of tripartite talks to be held in Darjeeling on December 21.
At the Chowrastha, while attending the closing ceremony of the month-long "cultural revolution", which started on September 25, the GJM chief said the state government had "unscrupulous intentions of bribing Hill people by dangling the development carrot" and announced that the panchayat department would be not be allowed to function from November 7.
"The Bengal government is trying to lure away Hill people from Gorkhaland by providing development through the panchayat. So, we will close the panchayat department and offices in the Hills," said Gurung.
The GJM leader also announced the shutting of all licensed liquor shops in the Hills from next month. "This puja alone, the state government collected nearly Rs 40 crore from the Hills. We will not allow our hard-earned money to go to the government," he said.
Gurung reissued the diktat directing college students to wear traditional Nepali dress to class on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He has even asked teachers to follow suit.
Gurung had asked the Hills people to wear traditional dress for a month during Durga puja, but unlike last year, the diktat was not mandatory and evoked a mixed response. This clearly annoyed the leader.
Gurung came down heavily on some central committee leaders and supporters of the party who, according to him, had become distracted by "monetary gains". "I know some party leaders are betraying the Gorkhaland cause for money. Official notices will be issued from tomorrow to these betrayers terminating their memberships to GJM," he said.
Gurung announces indefinite closure of liquor shops
KURSEONG, 25 OCT: In keeping with the tradition of issuing diktats at the close of a major programme, the GJMM president, Mr Bimal Gurung asked for an indefinite closure of all the liquor shops under the state government's excise department in the three Hill sub-divisions. In addition, the panchayat offices would also remain closed again for an indefinite period from 7 November and the dress code would remain mandatory for three days a week for the college students in the hills. Mr Gurung issued these diktats in Darjeeling today at a function marking the end of the month-long cultural movement. Similar functions were held in Kurseong and Kalimpong too addressed by the GJMM leaders.
Informing that his organization would embark on a new phase of agitation from 7 November, Mr Gurung said that it would continue for an indefinite period. “We would neither allow the state's excise department to keep swelling its coffers at the expense of the Hill people nor would we allow the panchayat offices to function from 7 November. Besides, all the hotels and restaurants would have to flaunt Gorkhaland sign boards in their fronts,” he said.
Urging the college students in the Hills to don the traditional apparel three days in a week the GJMM leader said that the dress code would remain mandatory for a year. “Besides, we would expel the corrupt leaders from the party, for the GJMM is movement, not a refuge for the scums of the society,” he declared. ;SNS
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