Maoist-Gorkha link becomes evident

The already violent Gorkhaland movement is probably getting a Maoist shot in the arm for a new and even bloodier episode in the Hills. A new organisation called the Gorkha Liberation Army (GLA) has announced armed assistance to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). Authorities believe the Nepali Maoists are backing the liberation army.

In the last few days, several posters have come up in Darjeeling screaming ‘Not through khukris (Gorkha dagger) or country-made guns, you require the help of modern and sophisticated weapons to get Gorkhaland’. The GLA is writing these posters in the Nepali language.

The posters have boosted GJM chief Bimal Gurung to go for an even more aggressive movement in the hills. He said on Monday, “We now will have to shift from Mahatma Gandhi’s to Netaji’s ways”.

The state police are not sure of the GLA’s political affiliation but they have a strong suspicion that Nepal Maoists were actively backing this new organisation.

Darjeeling SP R Srivastava said the police were evaluating all option and possibilities.
Even the state Intelligence Branch has specific clues that the Nepal Maoists were for some time trying to align themselves with the Gorkhaland movement.

According to IB sources, to an extent the Nepal Maoists have succeeded in involving themselves with the Gorkhaland movement, as is evident from the course the Gorkhaland movement is taking.

The state administration is taking all possible measures to combat any such armed resistance in future. According to Srivastava, four companies of additional para-military forces will be deputed in the hills shortly.