Bengal CM promises job for KLO ultras shunning violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee called upon the KLO militants in North Bengal to shun violence and return to the social mainstream. Affirming that he would not allow 'North Bengal to turn into another Assam', MR Bhattacharjee said, ''Shall we allow North Bengal to go Assam way?” Blaming ULFA, he said that the ULFA militants are ruining Assam and pulling back that state for a long time.''

Addressing a huge rally at Sitai More in Mathabhanga sub-division of Cooch Behar on the occasion of unveiling of the bronze statue of late Rajbonsi social reformer Rai Saheb Thakur Panchanan Barma, Mr. Bhattacharjee said 41 per cent population of Cooch Behar comprised the Rajbonshi community and here people have some problems with land and employment.

''Let us come to proceed jointly to solve those,'' the Chief Minister said. He said he had already asked the Divisional Commissioner and Cooch Behar District Magistrate to find jobs for the militants who returned to the mainstream. ''It may solve the problem,'' he opined. Mr. Bhattacharjee also inaugurated the 16th state Bhawaiya competition at Ghoksadanga in Mathabhanga.  Comparing Thakur Panchanan Barma with Chaitanya and Rabindranath Tagore, the Chief Minister said that if he was still alive, Thakur Panchanan would have never supported any move to divide people into  groups like KLO and KPP.

Creation of Gorkhaland best political situation: Ghising

Gorkha National Liberation Front supreme Subhas Ghising said creation of Gorkhaland in Darjeeling hills was the best political solution and called upon the people to be alert against international spying agencies in the region. The Darjeeling Gorkha Autonomous Hill Council chairman said his party would not take part in the election if the state government went ahead with the polling before March 25. He said that the state government can hold election to the DGHAC, but the council was formed after tripartite agreement in 1988 which led to the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. He questioned which the real council is as the West Bengal Assembly amended the council in 2001 and appended the word autonomous. ''Now the government has to clarify which is the real one?'' he said.

Mr. Ghising also thanked the Union Home Ministry for convening the tripartite meeting. Mr. Ghising said he had clarified his position to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee about his election stand and would raise his point in the next meeting. The Gorkha leader said given the international situation in the neighbouring countries, particularly in Nepal and the growing spying activity in the region, the Centre and the West Bengal government should sincerely explore the possibility of creation of Gorkhaland state.

He alleged that in the opposition Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) leadership, there is a Nepali citizen doing politics in the hills which he said was ''dangerous'' for the stability of the region. He also criticised West Bengal Municipal and Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharjee for ''hobnobbing'' with the opposition in the hills. Mr. Ghising said he would also rise in the tripartite meeting how the West Bengal government had added the word ''autonomous'' after amending the DGHC nomenclature without the consent of the GNLF as his party was one of the signatories to the Darjeeling accord. He said election was secondary, but his primary goal was to free Darjeeling from international spying agency. He said he wanted to have a tripartite meeting from the defence point of view in the changed political scenario of Nepal and ''that was the reason we asked for home department (police)''. He also thanked the state Chief Minister for assuring a CBI inquiry into the murder of three GNLF councilors and attempt on his life.

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