By IANS,
Kolkata : Ruling out a separate Gorkhaland state as demanded by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday said he will not permit the division of the state.
“I do not want divisions within West Bengal and will try my best not allow anyone to divide the state,” he said, addressing the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) peasants wing, All India Kishan Sabha’s (AIKS)
district conference in Darjeeling, the epicentre of the Gorkhaland state issue.
Bhattacharjee termed poverty the root of terrorism and called for an united fight against it.
“Poverty is the root of terrorism. I am not saying this for the masterminds of terrorism but the young boys who fall into their trap for pecuniary pressure and become their cadre. Hence we have to stress on overall economic
development of the state and the country,” he said.
At the same time, he condemned terrorists as “inhuman”.
“Even after understanding the root of terrorism, I must say that what the terrorists have done in Mumbai is shameful and condemnable. They are inhuman”.
Reminding the audience that 16 years back this day (Dec 6,1992) the Babri Masjid was destroyed by Hindu nationalists in Ayodhya, Bhattacharjee said: “We are reaping what we have sowed.”
“Instead of strengthening our secularism, some of our politicians have put in their best efforts in weakening it. As a result, we are facing terrorist attacks not only from outside but also inside the country.”