An attack on a whistleblower on alleged irregularities in the teacher recruitment scam in the Darjeeling hills has raised the political temperatures in the hills.
Sudan Gurung, the president of the Trained Unemployed Youth Welfare Organisation, was attacked by unknown people around 8.30pm on Thursday in the Old Supermarket area, which is near the Darjeeling Sadar and traffic offices in town.
Gurung has been alleging that many teachers in Darjeeling have been illegally recruited in the hills. Gurung has specifically alleged that the process of appointing 313 teachers in 2019 was flawed.
Many leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) have also been appointed as teachers in this recruitment drive.
“The attack on me is related to the teacher’s recruitment issue,” said Gurung.
Gurung said that he was attacked by a sharp weapon and the attacker had targeted his neck. “Since I tried to dodge, I was hit on the head,” said Gurung.
Gurung suffered seven stitches on his head, but his condition is stated to be stable.
Soon after the attack, most of the opposition leaders were quick to condemn the attack.
Neeraj Zimba, GNLF leader who won the Darjeeling seat on a BJP ticket, visited Gurung at the Darjeeling district hospital on Friday and presented him with an Indian Constitution and a khukuri (traditional Gorkha weapon), which is being interpreted as a symbolic gesture.
Raju Bista, Darjeeling MP, also condemned the attack.
Leader of Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and also Ajoy Edwards's Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) condemned the attack.
Edwards’s party also plastered posters in Darjeeling town on Friday to condemn the attack.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, CPM leader and lawyer who is fighting the case against the alleged illegal recruitment of 313 teachers in Darjeeling, condemned the attack.
Bhattacharya described Gurung as “the young man who is fighting against the widespread corruption in the recruitment of teachers under the supervision of the Darjeeling GTA under Mamata Banerjee”.
“He survived. But, corrupt Mamata and Trinamool Congress will not be able to escape the hands of the law. All democratic people of Darjeeling should unite and stand against this attack. All India Bar Association will be by your side,” stated Bhattacharya.