TIME TO PONDER OVER SO CALLED 'DEVELOPMENT BOARDS'

TIME TO PONDER OVER SO CALLED 'DEVELOPMENT BOARDS' - Are they really formed to help us develop or to keep us caged?'

SOURCE :The Darjeeling Chronicle

Writes: Upendra Chhetri

When we look at the string of events that have occurred in the hills over the past few years, one cannot help but wonder where we are headed. It won’t be inappropriate to say we are losing direction for which one can easily put blame on the incompetent political leadership, but aren’t we the people equally to be blamed for it?

There was a time when almost everyone gave unconditional support to the party that vouched for Gorkhaland. Since then a lot of things have changed. Today we see multiple political parties with different agendas and significant follower base and the people seem to be changing the boat frequently and easily. It seems that we - the people ourselves are not very sure and united on what we want.

The ruling state party (Mamata Banerjee) is trying to set its strong-hold in the region and is not leaving any stone unturned. From frequent visits to the hills, announcement of various 'development boards' to using the state machinery, the party has done everything to divide and break up the unity of the people.

Talking about the 10+ development boards formed, some of which have even completed one year, we should introspect on how beneficial it has been to the common people. There have been voices saying why should we protest when the government is trying to do something for the development of the region. But we should also ask ourselves, is the petty development worth the risk of dividing our own people on the lines of caste and lose our identity as Gorkhas for which our forefathers have sacrificed their lives?

For a moment, let us forget that we are fighting for our identity and our ultimate goal is Gorkhaland, and let us suppose that we - the people only want development in the hills. Now the state has formed many development boards for the people. Have these boards succeeded in its purpose? Has the huge fund provided by the state percolated to the lowest strata of the society where it is most needed? Reports suggest that there has already been some form of corruption in these boards, and few people posing as true leaders of the community have occupied the seats in the boards, without any consultation with the community or due qualifications.

Well this was bound to happen.

Next thing we must seriously ponder upon is the very definition of development. What is development? The answer will surely vary from people to people. But one thing is certain that development does not mean distributing money or building houses and toilets. It is time for those people who have great faith in Mamata Banerjee’s love for the people of the hills, to question their sanity. They still think with these development boards she is showering her love, affection and ‘Mamta’. Well, all she is doing is making the people nothing more than a parrot in a cage. Feed the parrot when it starts crying. This way the parrot’s hunger is also satisfied and the owner gets to keep the parrot in the cage.

Had Mamata Banerjee sincerely loved the hills and wanted development for our region, she would never have divided our people by forming such boards. Instead, she would have formed boards for the upliftment of education, a cultural board, a tourism board, a board to look over the plight of tea garden workers, a board to promote local small scale industries, a board to preserve the diverse culture and language of the region and many such boards we can name. She would have worked towards employment generation and ensured that we are self-dependent, provided better opportunity for education and developed the local infrastructure. But today the story is different, yet some people still fail to see the evil plans, willingly perhaps, set forth by Mamata and they misconstrue it as her ‘mamta’.

There is a saying- “Give a man a fish he’ll feed himself for a day, teach him fishing he’ll feed himself for his entire lifetime”. These so called development boards are like the fish, not meant to last forever. After sometime these boards will have to go to Mamata to ask for more and this will continue forever. Where is the development here? How will the society benefit from this and how will our future generation benefit from this?

Let us not be mere parrots owned by the Bengal government by accepting short term benefits.

It is in our best interest to be united against any external forces trying to divide us. There is strength in unity. It is this unity that has done miracles in the past and the same unity will lead us to our ultimate goal.

Jai Gorkha, Jai Gorkhaland.

[File pic of development board leaders campaigning for TMC]