Lots of people will die in the hills in the next one and a half years: Bimal Gurung

A few kilometres from the nearest police outpost in Singmari, Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung, who had supposedly gone into hiding, has called upon his cadres and the press for a durbar of sorts at the GJM office in Patlebas.

During the conference, where he announced the resignation of 43 GJM leaders from the Gorkhaland Territorial Authority (GTA), Gurung declared, "I'm not Kishenji, I'm not a Maoist."

The idea is that Gurung has come out for damage control, a day after he told a Nepali channel that he rejects the all-party coalition, angering the Nepali community. At the conference, he stressed on the unity of all political parties, a few minutes after Mohan Ghising, son of Subhash Ghising, took out a rally in nearby Darjeeling.

Once the press conference was over, Gurung went back inside the office away from the media glare, speaking to his cadre in batches. Soon after, Gurung spoke to DNA about waiting for the presidential elections to convince the BJP about his stand for an separate state of Gorkhaland and on other issues in the hill state of Darjeeling. Edited excerpts:

GJM leaders are in Delhi at the moment. How are the talks progressing?

We are talking at this point; and my delegation is positioned there. I want to wait till the presidential elections are over. After that, we will pursue them with strong intent.

Are you hopeful for a solution from the BJP?

I've supported the BJP in 2009 and then in 2014. The BJP's manifesto in 2014 has spoken about looking for a solution to the long-pending demand for a new state. We helped Jaswant Singh win, and then SS Ahluwalia. Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand were formed by the BJP. They are in support of small states; we're hopeful of the BJP. The BJP will support us, because I speak to the Gorkhas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh, appealing them to vote for the BJP every time there is an election.

There's this idea that you went into hiding once the violence erupted. But you're here sitting in the GJM office, talking to the cadres, barely kilometres away from the nearest police station. What is stopping the police from arresting you?

Firstly, we have been ensuring that the fight moves on in a democratic manner. The government created this undemocratic mess. We've carried out our protests within the limits of the Constitution. We've tolerated the undemocratic functioning of the West Bengal government on our land. But when they attacked our language, we said it is not right. They did not listen. Then they asked their police to fire at us, and blamed us for the death of our own people. We are watching; let's see how far this goes. We will not let the West Bengal government lure us into doing something undemocratic. They've tried to label us as terrorists. They've charged us with murder when the bullets were from their own guns, and there's CCTV footage and cartridges attesting that. They've stopped the Internet and suspended news channels, who were spreading out voice. It is a violation of human rights. Now we'll wait and watch. This fight is bound to continue; it will become indigenous and it will become very dangerous.

In the last few years, the political climate in the hills has changed. The Mamata Banerjee government formed welfare boards for different castes, and has made inroads here.

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed after the President lent his stamp on the papers. There were development boards as part of the GTA constitution. Then the government made several other (welfare) boards — Tamang board, Sherpa board, Bhutia board. This was Mamata's idea of undermining the GTA to make it useless. I told them repeatedly to not do this, and even spoke to the Centre. All of that neglect is being funnelled into this movement. I have been appealing to these boards to work for the community, not just for a caste. We could have subsisted alongside the government if they wanted to.

If Mamata Banerjee now passes a notification taking back Bengali as a third language, will you take back the strike?

Not now, not at all. Now there is only a one-point agenda — Gorkhaland. The Centre has asked us to come forward for tripartite talks. We told them we'll come only if Gorkhaland is on the agenda. We will take this fight for a state to its end. Lots of people will die in the next year and a half.

With the opposing parties in Darjeeling coming together, leaving behind their own reservations, the Gorkhaland movement has changed gears. It now needs a leader and a voice. Who will be that leader?

The GJM has been taking ahead the voice of the people everywhere. Nepalis across the country and outside it have come together to work together for the movement. We will all have to work together to go ahead, and when we stand together, the voice is stronger.

When you spoke yesterday you were in the fatigues of the British Gorkha Regiment. Was there a message you wanted to send out?

Anyone can wear anything (laughs). If I wear a suit and bow-tie, I will not become a waiter, will I? If I wear the army's clothes, it does not mean I will run into the jungle with my rifle.

After the all-party meet, and the formation of the all-India coordination committee, many say that this could spell the end of the era of Bimal Gurung.

Sincerely, I do not have any greed for a position, a role or power. For four and a half years, I've led the GTA. I do not care about all this. I care about the motherland, and my work is to fight for the motherland. I've given up everything for this. When in 2014, I took this 65-day padyatra, the BJP told me that Bimalji, akele mat chaliye. Sang-sang chaltey hai. Desh ko banana hai, kshetra ko bhi. So, I came back, and held a public meeting where I told the people that Modiji has requested me, so I will pause my padyatra. But that day, I took a vow that I will never go to my house till Gorkhaland is formed. It's been two years, I haven't gone home. I sleep here at the office. I don't think anyone should anger the people, and if they say this leader or that leader, then the issue will be lost.

Have you spoken to Mamata Banerjee since?

She's killed my children, she's my enemy now. Why do I need to talk to her?

If you could speak to her, what would you say to her?

She's a woman — she could be someone's sister, someone's mother. She should have thought about that. She forgot all that and behaved with an animal instinct. Politics should not be demonic.