Ethnic groups in north Bengal reject BJP MP’s separate UT proposal
The Hindu
John Barla, the saffron party MP from Alipurduar, recently sparked a political debate in the State when he called for bifurcation of Bengal, drawing sharp retort from the TMC and other parties.
Several ethnic groups, which had spearheaded agitations for creation of separate states in north Bengal over the past few decades, have now rejected a BJP MP’s controversial demand for an Union Territory comprising all districts of the region, calling it an “unrealistic” and “vindictive” move. John Barla, the saffron party MP from Alipurduar, recently sparked a political debate in the State when he called for bifurcation of Bengal, drawing sharp retort from the TMC and other parties. Ironically, Mr. Barla’s demand did not find resonance with the prominent identity-based groups in the region - the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJM), Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association (GCPA) and those backing the Kamtapur movement.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.