KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee returned to Darjeeling hills after eight months on Tuesday and called the political parties to work together to ensure development and peace in the region.
She also rechristened Rohini road connecting Siliguri with Darjeeling as 'Subhash Ghising Marg' after Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) founder Subhash Ghising.
Speaking after the rechristening at Zero Point near Kurseong on Tuesday, she said: “I urge all the political parties to work together for development and peace in Darjeeling hills.” She also indicated that the semi-autonomous Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) Board of Administrators (BoA) may soon be regularised and given all powers akin to the previous chapter of GTA headed by the Chief Minister’s bête noire Bimal Gurung, who heads one of the two factions of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). “I am honoured that the Chief Minister named this road after my late father Subhash Ghising to honour his legacy,” said GNLF president Man Ghising.
The Chief Minister was welcomed by supporters of Binay Tamang faction of GJM with traditional scarves ‘khada’. She will hold a public meeting in Darjeeling on Wednesday.
The hills had erupted in 108-day-long Gorkhaland agitation when the Chief Minister was last in Darjeeling conducting a cabinet meeting on June 8 last year. A lot of water has flown down Teesta and Rangit rivers since then. Twelve lives have been lost during the agitation. GJM has become divided, Binay Tamang has been made GTA BoA chairman and Bimal Gurung is still on the run and wanted in several cases including Unlawful Activies (Prevention) Act, murder, riot and arson.
Caption: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Gorkha Territorial Administration (Board of Administrators) chairman Binay Tamang rechristening Rohini road as 'Subhash Ghising Marg' at Zero Point near Kurseong in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on Tuesday.