Roy’s Musings: “We (GJM) could come to an important conclusion before 2010″ Dr. Chettri

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE] EXCLUSIVE

BY BARUN ROY

Dr. Harkabahadur Chettri

There were much that was expected out of the recent Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Central Committee reshuffle. However, to much of our dismay, nothing really seems to have come out of it. In fact, some even questioning certain appointments as being imprudent. For instance, the appointment of Dr. Harka Bahadur Chettri as the new Press and Publicity Secretary. If memory serves well, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Central Committee leadership had had hard time trying to keep Dr. Chettri at bay especially during last monsoon when Dr. Chettri fired full salvos of rhetoric without ever considering where his words would land the party in. It was also Dr. Chettri’s words which had cost the party some browny points when he repeatedly told the press that the party would go alone and field its own candidates for the Lok Sabha Election if no national party supported its agenda. Earlier, Bimal Gurung, the party President had made the party’s stand clear when he had said that Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would not contest election. Dr. Chettri’s assertions thus going against party’s official stand to an extent even exposing the inner dealings within the party not appropriate for the consumption of general populace. Obviously, the party has let the bygone be bygone and appointed Dr. Chettri as the Press and Publicity Secretary. But then again as it is said, “old habits die hard”, Dr. Chettri has immediately landed the party in trouble by hinting that “the party could come to an important conclusion before 2010″. Political observers and analysts are wondering why Dr. Chettri made such an statement – “What Conclusion? Why before 2010? Is this conclusion related to the Gorkhaland movement itself ?” While it might not be appropriate here to assume any thing, Dr. Chettri’s statement has put a ‘question mark’ in everyone’s mind. There are only a handful of months left before the advent of 2010 yet the party has decided to ‘go soft’ on the movement. Further with the BJP in the opposition and in no position to force upon the UPA government to make such decision as that of the formation of a separate state anywhere in the nation, aren’t statements like these nothing inherent of the lack of faith within the party. The party has so far made its stand clear that Gorkhaland will be achieved before the dateline of 2010 – does this statement then not indicate that leaders within the party do not agree with the same and want to come out with a more realistic and practical vision? Whatever the fact may be, the press releases and the press conferences will surely be more spicy now that Dr. Chettri is the Press and Publicity Secretary – it would be hard for the party to stop him from speaking up his mind – and speak he will!