Jaswant Singh: Centre of hill rift

Siliguri, June 16: Speculation about Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh’s return to the BJP has forced the CPRM to ask the national party to come clear on its position on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

“At this juncture, it is important that state BJP leaders who had initiated the formation of the Democratic Front to restore democracy and peace in Darjeeling reassert their stance on the Morcha. The MP has remained close to the Morcha right from his first visit to Darjeeling. Even at the last public meeting held by the Morcha, he was one of the key speakers,” said R.B. Rai, the CPRM general secretary, today.

“Once Singh is brought back to the BJP, it is unbecoming to a national party to maintain double standards. So, BJP leaders here must specify whether they are with or against the Morcha.”

Jaswant had won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat last year with the backing of the Morcha. He was expelled from the BJP in the wake of the controversy generated by his book Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence.

“We have no confusion over the BJP’s stand on Gorkhaland, which is the demand of all the constituents of the front. But the key question is whether the BJP supports the Morcha or not. We are fed up with the Morcha’s dictatorship,” said Rai, a former Darjeeling MP.

The front comprising the ABGL, CPRM, BJP, GNLF (C) and three other outfits was formed to protest the atrocities of the Morcha and to demand the restoration of democracy in the hills. BJP state secretary Dawa Sherpa had taken the initiative to form the front.

Asked about the CPRM’s demand, Sherpa said: “It is too early to say as he (Jaswant) has not yet been included in the BJP. The entire issue is speculative. We have been sending feedback about the situation in the Darjeeling hills to state and central leaders on a regular basis.”

“We joined the front as we are in favour of democracy and peace. Other parties can interpret our stand based on the BJP’s role in the front and the statements made by us in public,” he added.

Sources said BJP leaders were concerned about Jaswant’s likely return to the party. “Once he (Singh) is back in the BJP, he is expected to be counted among top leaders of the party. As the MP is inclined towards the Morcha and strongly supports its movement, BJP leaders here doubt if they will succeed in convincing the central leaders of their current anti-Morcha position,” said a source.

While leaders of the BJP and other constituents of the Democratic Front sounded confused, the Morcha is eagerly waiting for the MP’s re-inclusion in the BJP.

“We feel that once Jaswant Singh returns to the BJP, the stand taken by the local leaders, who hardly have support base in the hills, will be insignificant,” said Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the media and publicity secretary of the Morcha. “We want to see that good sense prevails among the local leaders and they follow the BJP central leadership’s line of supporting us.”