North Bengal regional parties form common forum to press for separate statehood demand

Nine north Bengal based regional political parties have formed a forum to raise the demand for a separate statehood. Some of these parties are Kamtapur Progressive Party, Kamtapur People's Party, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Greater Cooch Behar People's Association, Bir Birsa Munda il Uglan, ST SC OBC Movement Manch and Bhumiputra Coordination Party. The first meeting of the forum was held in Siliguri yesterday.

Darjeeling: The regional political parties of north Bengal have come together to form a common forum to voice for a separate statehood demand. So long, these parties had been demanding for separate states of Gorkhaland, Cooch Behar, Terai-Dooars and Kamtapur. With their demands remaining unfulfilled, a new initiative has now been taken up to press for the statehood demand.

Raising the demand that north Bengal be declared as a separate state, nine regional parties formed a joint platform named 'United Front for Separate State' on Monday. The forum held its first conference in the Dagapur area of Siliguri on Monday. The conference, which lasted till the evening, registered participation from representatives of nine regional political parties including Kamtapur Progressive Party, Kamtapur People's Party, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Greater Cooch Behar People's Association, Bir Birsa Munda il Uglan, ST SC OBC Movement Manch and Bhumiputra Coordination Party. Their regional party presidents were included in the forum's core committee.

After the Durga Puja, a rally will be organised in Siliguri over separate statehood demand. Then the demand will be raised in Kolkata and Delhi. The front will write to both the central and state governments about this demand.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the regional political parties have yet again started fighting for their existence by rekindling the statehood issue. The political circles think that the development will increase the discomfort of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung said, "Each of us has the same demand as before. But now it is the time to fight together. North Bengal should be made a separate state and the front will fight for this cause. Both the Centre and the state government will be informed about it."

Incidentally, the GCPA leader and BJP's Rajya Sabha member Ananta Maharaj has commented several times on declaring north Bengal a separate state and the demand was also raised by BJP MPs and MLAs. Leaders of the ruling party are of the opinion that the BJP is behind the front's formation.