Territory deal: - Parishad state chief to seek explanation from dooars unit

Parishad and Morcha supporters gathered at Mongpong on Sunday. Siliguri, Oct. 30: The move by a section of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad in the Terai and the Dooars to support the inclusion of the Adivasi-dominated areas of the plains in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has come as a surprise to the state president of the tribal outfit.

The Parishad president, Birsa Tirkey, said the local leadership had decided to hold talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha without the consent of the state committee.

The Parishad had been demanding Sixth Schedule status for the Terai and the Dooars while vehemently opposing the inclusion of the region in the proposed GTA.

Tirkey said he would seek an explanation from the leaders who addressed a joint press conference with Morcha heavyweights at Mongpong today.

The Parishad president, who was in Ranchi, said he had heard that the Dooars leaders had agreed to a new dispensation called the Gorkha Adivasi Territorial Administration and to work with the Morcha leadership.

“The Parishad men from the Dooars and the Terai participated in today’s dialogue with the Morcha leaders without taking any consent from our state committee. They are free to attend any meetings with anybody without the authorisation of state leaders. But they do not have the power to take any decision on any issue, unless they are authorised by the state committee. I am now out of the state and once I return to Calcutta tomorrow, I will call an emergency meeting and ask the leaders who participated in today’s meeting for an explanation,” Tirkey told The Telegraph over phone.

Tirkey had visited the Writers’ Buildings on October 20 to submit a memorandum to Justice (retd) Shyamal Kumar Sen, who heads the high-power committee set up by the state government to address the territory issue raised by the Morcha for the inclusion of the Terai and the Dooars in the GTA.

“We could not meet the Justice or the state home secretary, G.D. Gautama. We submitted the memorandum to the officials in the home department. We clearly mentioned in the memorandum that under no circumstances could any place in the Terai and the Dooars be brought under the GTA. We also demanded autonomy for the areas under Sixth Schedule, as we are the indigenous tribal people of the areas and our issues related to development are completely different from those in the hills,” he said.

The tribal leader also pointed out that the Terai and the Dooars were Adivasi-dominated areas and Assembly seats were reserved for candidates from the community. “We have six Assembly seats reserved for candidates from the scheduled tribes and these areas cannot be part of any other set-up,” Tirkey said.

When asked if he would take any disciplinary action against the leaders who took part in today’s meeting, Tir-key said: “Once I reach Calcutta, I will get a detailed report of today’s meeting and also ask our members in what capacity they attended the meeting. Any decision on disciplinary action can be taken after that.”