Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung has been criticized for a statement he made against Nepal’s prime minister, and not only by members of his own party.
Gurung had made this reference to the Nepali prime minister on July 27, which is commemorated as Gorkhaland Martyrs’ Day.
It was the BJP who first promised to address our concerns in their platform. Our gates are wide open (to Nepal). We demand that all entry points be fortified. Should we recommend that Nepal’s Prime Minister provide citizenship if India does not take steps to settle the identity crisis? Can we do anything else?That’s why we’re calling for action from the center,” Gurung said.
Gurung’s “identity crisis” was the common misunderstanding that Indians who speak Nepali are really Nepali.
However, by mentioning the Prime Minister of Nepal in this setting, he has set up a firestorm in the area.
It’s inappropriate to seek aid from a foreign nation. Former Kalimpong MLA and political veteran Harka Bahadur Chhetri claimed that Gurung’s actions may have been motivated by irritation (about the BJP’s delay), but that they were indicative of political immaturity.
Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh president Munish Tamang remarked, “Frustration does not imply that we can speak about anything. Perception is everything in politics…Such comments (by Gurung) are counterproductive.
Morcha spokesperson Kishore Bharati also distanced himself and his organization from the president’s comments.
Bharati said, “That was not a party statement.” That was completely impromptu. I can’t fathom Gurung’s motivations for saying what he did. One must be well-versed in the topics at hand and refrain from making careless statements while leading a political faction.
However, Gurung is no stranger to public attention after making controversial remarks.
When Gurung’s statehood movement was at its height in October 2007, he made the shocking announcement that he would commit suicide if Gorkhaland wasn’t established by March 10.
Although the contents of the suitcase were never made public, on March 10, 2010, during a public gathering, Gurung abruptly grabbed for it, and his followers saw this as a sign that he was about to pull a gun.
Subash Ghisingh, head of the GNLF, attempted to contact “international leaders” about the Gorkhaland issue in 1983, which was met with criticism.
Ghisingh, concerned about the Gorkha identity crisis in Darjeeling, spoke with the then-monarchs of Nepal and the United Kingdom, as well as the leaders of 10 other nations.
When asked about the letter, Bhakta Jairu of the GNLF defended it by arguing that it was written because Darjeeling was “treaty obligated land,” meaning that it has changed hands between Nepal, Sikkim, and the former colonizers, the East India Company, via many treaties.