By IANS,
Kolkata : The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a prominent partner in West Bengal’s Left Front government, has opposed the demand for a Gorkhaland state but asked that a second State Reorganisation Committee (SRC) be set up to decide on the Telangana issue.
Terming the Congress’ decision to concede Telangana without holding any discussion with other parties and in parliament as unethical, AIFB national general secretary Debabrata Biswas alleged that the issue was blown up to divert people’s attention from spiralling prices.
“It is unethical on the part of Congress that it did not discuss the issue of the
creation of the new state of Telangana with all the political parties and in both the houses of parliament. Congress has a midnight culture of announcing decisions at midnight,” Biswas told IANS in an interview.
Biswas said his party was not against smaller states. “But everything has to come through a process as India is a democratic country. A second State Reorganisation Committee should be formed and on the report of the committee it should be decided whether a new state of Telangana is needed or not. The decision of new states should not depend on the whims of Congress.”
However, he categorically ruled out any need of an SRC for Gorkhaland in the northern part of West Bengal.
“The hill was awarded the Autonomous Hill Council but it did not work for the development of Darjeeling. There is no question of formation of a new state of Gorkhaland. No one can break Bengal. We don’t want any SRC for Gorkhaland,” he
said.
He alleged that the Congress deliberately played up the issue of Telangana in order to shift public attention from issues like price rises and unemployment, which has hit the common people hard.
Regarding the political turmoil in West Bengal on land acquisition, Biswas said his party was opposed to forcible acquisition of farmland. “We are not against
industrialisation. It is very much needed for the progress of the state. But we don’t want forceful acquisition of farmland for industrialisation.”
He was confident that the recent electoral success of the state’s main opposition Trinamool Congress was temporary.
“The electoral success of Trinamool Congress is temporary. They have already started fighting among themselves. We should not forget that they have the blood of Congress in them, Biswas added.