Parivartan (change) is most likely to take place across the Darjeeling hills on May 4, when the results of the Bengal Assembly elections will be declared.
This is because three political parties that are drawing the largest crowds in their election rallies — Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), Ajoy Edwards-led Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) and the BJP — are firming up the parivartan (change) slogan as the campaign hits the last leg in the hills.
On Monday, the BGPM organised a procession in Darjeeling and called it “vichar parivartan yatra (change in mindset)” march.
The procession started from two ends of Darjeeling. One was led by BGPM president Anit Thapa from Ghoom. Darjeeling candidate of the BGPM, Bijay Kumar Rai, led another procession from Singamari. The two points are around 12km apart.
The two marches converged on the Darjeeling motor stand and culminated in a public meeting there.
“We had started a campaign for vichar parivartan (change in mindset) in 2017, and somewhere the hills have accepted this thought,” Thapa told the crowd.
“During this election campaign, we did not hear slogans like murdabad. I do not want our people using this slogan against our own people. I am happy that a lot of people have joined our thoughts,” said Thapa.
Anit Thapa and Binay Tamang had joined hands to rally against Bimal Gurung of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which had relaunched the Gorkhaland agitation in 2017. Eleven people were killed in police firing during the agitation.
Although Thapa and Tamang faced a huge backlash soon after the 104-day agitation, Thapa, who formed the BGPM, managed to win the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Sabha and panchayat elections from 2022 onwards.
If the BGPM is stressing the vichar parivartan narrative in its last leg, the Ajoy Edwards-led IGJF has made “Parivartan (change)” the tagline for this year’s Assembly polls. The IGJF is building a narrative for a change in the political leadership of the Darjeeling hills, which is currently controlled by Thapa.
Apart from these two parties, the BJP has also been calling for parivartan across Bengal.
