Setback for GJM as constituent walks out

Fissures appeared barely a day after GJM propped up an eight-party platform for Gorkhaland stir as major constituent All-India Gorkha League walked out demanding that its three conditions be met first, including the scrapping of the Territorial Administration (GTA).
The AIGL had raised three demands at the all party meeting yesterday at which the platform, Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee was formed, AIGL president Bharti Tamang told a press conference here today.
Bharati Tamang, who took over the party following the murder of her husband and then president Madan Tamang in Darjeeling town on May 21, 2010, said the demands were that the GJM should quit the GTA, all GTA members should resign and there should be speedy justice for Madan Tamang.

"If the GJM leadership shows interest in meeting our demands, we will return to the GJAC," Bharati Tamang said.
The decision was communicated to Enos Das Pradhan, chief of GJAC, she said.
"The existence of GTA and the Gorkhaland movement cannot go together," AIGL General Secretary Pratap Khati said.

"Till GTA is there, we cannot advance our movement to achieve Gorkhaland. GTA has to be repealed," he said.
He said that his party would not take part in an all party meeting called tomorrow by the GJAC.
Led by Enos Das Pradhan, chief of Gorkha Task Force the other constituents of GJAC were the GJM, BJP, ABGL, CPRM, Gorkha Rashtriya Congress, Bharatiya Gorkha Rastriya Parisangh, and Gorkha Rashtriya Nirman Parishad.

Following withdrawal of the ABGL, the third largest party after GJM and CPRM (Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists), leaders of the other smaller parties said they would also raise their own demands at the all-party meeting tomorrow.