GREATER COOCHBEHAR

Stop poll process : GCPA's demand to President

COOCH BEHAR, April 21: The Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) has once again raised its demand to form a caretaker ministry for the proposed Greater Cooch Behar C-category state. Submitting a memorandum to the President, the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister through the district magistrate of Cooch Behar today the GCPA secretary Kumari Namita Barman sought permission of the President to form the proposed caretaker ministry in the interest of the socio economic development of the people of the 'Greater Cooch Behar C-camp State'.

In the memorandum the GCPA also demanded and end to the election process for the ensuing Lok Sabha election in the 'Greater Cooch Behar State' terming it an unconstitutional act. They demanded amendment of the Indian Constitution to nominate two representatives from the 'Greater Cooch Behar State' to the Indian Parliament. In That case they would not hesitate to obey the Indian Constitution. GCPA sources said they have submitted similar memorandums on 24 March of this year.

Today, the GCPA organised a huge gathering at Shahid Baag in Cooch Behar and later they submitted the memorandum to the district magistrate. Similar programmes were also held at other north Bengal districts today, GCPA sources claimed.

The legal secretary of the GCPA Mr Chitta Ranjan Roy said they have been on a sit-in at Jantar-Mantar in New Delhi since 28 August 2006 with firm determination of fulfilment of their demand to an all out socio-economic development of the people of the 'Greater Cooch Behar'.

When asked, Mr Roy denied that they were going towards a poll boycott programme. "Instead, we are appealing to stop the poll process in Cooch Behar because we think it is unconstitutional. We are living here outside of the purview of the Indian Constitution and so the election of the Indian Parliament is unconstitutional here. Instead, they should nominate two representatives from here to the Parliament following the Constitution's directive for the native states", the GCPA leader said.