Kolkata, Jan 1 (IANS) North Bengal, known for its natural beauty with the conglomeration of forests, tea gardens, hills and springs, has been in the boil in the recent past.
The resurgence of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) demanding separate Kamtapur statehood by bifurcating certain districts in North Bengal has become a headache for the administration with underground KLO chief Jeevan Singh frequently releasing video messages threatening renewed movement on the issue.
There have been demands from among a section of the BJP legislators and MPs from the region advocating separate statehood for North Bengal or get it converted into a Union Territory.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, North Bengal Development Minister, Udayan Guha, spoke at length on how he views such problems, and outlined Trinamool Congress’ strategy to address them.
Excerpts from the interview:
IANS: Of late, the demands for bifurcation of North Bengal are again becoming evident from different pressure groups in the region. As the North Bengal Development Minister, do you apprehend this phenomenon to snowball into a major crisis in 2023?
Guha: Not really. These divisive groups like the KLO, though once had some public support in the region, are now totally isolated from the masses. So their leaders, mostly underground, are making a failed attempt to keep up their relevance.
Of course, the police administration will have to remain alert so that these divisive groups are not able to create any mischief. But these threatening video messages circulated from underground do not need to be taken so seriously, since the only expectation of the people of North Bengal is the overall development of the area.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the people of North Bengal have tasted development for the first time, and hence they will not take these divisive groups very seriously.
IANS: But when the demand for the bifurcation of North Bengal comes from a section of elected public representatives from the region, the matter takes a serious political perspective. How does your party plan to counter that?
Guha: Yes, that is a problem. BJP’s electoral performance was best in North Bengal, both in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls as well as in the 2021 Assembly elections. But of late, the grip of BJP on the sentiments of the local people in the region seems to be loosening for two reasons.
First, the taste of development is making the people of the region feel closer to the state government. Secondly, the people of the region, like the people of the entire country, are frustrated about the anti-people policies of the BJP-led Union government.
It is most unfortunate that the divisive underground forces are receiving the clandestine backing and mentorship from the BJP leadership, and to an extent from the Union government.
We have seen how normal life in the hills of North Bengal got paralysed for months because of the movement in demand of a separate Gorkhaland state. The force that was spearheading the movement in the hills received full support from the BJP and the Union government then.
Now, the BJP is trying to play the same dirty game in entire North Bengal.
IANS: What is Trinamool Congress’ strategy to counter this politically?
Guha: Our strategy is simple. First, to continue with or rather accelerate the pace of development in the region. Secondly, from a political perspective, our leaders and workers are conducting an in-depth public relations exercise in the region to make people aware of the danger of the divisive politics pursued by the BJP and other divisive forces.
I think that these two factors will yield results in the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state scheduled in 2023. BJP’s performance will be disastrous in North Bengal.
IANS: Of late, North Bengal, especially the Cooch Behar district, has been in the news for the death of persons in BSF firing. As a minister in charge of the region, and also as an MLA from Cooch Behar, what is your take on this?
Guha: Since the beginning, our party has been vocal about BSF’s highhandedness and trigger-happy approach in the border areas. Out party was the first to protest against the Union Home Ministry’s decision to increase BSF’s area jurisdiction in the border areas. Our protests will continue in such matters, and our party high-command and MPs are also very active and vocal in the national capital on this issue.
IANS: Making the forest areas in North Bengal encroachment-free is a serious challenge. How does your department propose to tackle this issue?
Guha: The policy of the state government and the stand of the Trinamool Congress is very clear on this issue — no displacement of human habitation without providing sufficient compensation and rehabilitation. As far as my knowledge, there is hardly any human habitation within the core forest areas in North Bengal.
Of course, the situation will be different if the Union government decides to extend the core areas. In that case, the existing human habitations there should be provided with rehabilitation and adequate compensation. The state government will surely do whatever it can from its end.
But the majority of the expenses on the account of rehabilitation and compensation will have to be borne by the Union government.
–IANS
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