GCPP's stir threat over Rajbongshi Academy

A newly launched party headed by the much known leader of the Greater
Cooch Behar movement, Bangshi Badan Barman, warned that they might
start a fresh agitation if the state government fails to activate the
Rajbongshi Academy that was announced by the Chief Minister, Mamata
Banerjee. Barman floated a new party named Greater Cooch Behar
People's Party (GCPP) on 6 April in an aim to unite all similar minded
people and organisations to get a new C-category state under the
Central Government curved out of West Bengal.

It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had
announced the formation of Rajbongshi Academy on 10 February from
Siliguri. Following her announcement the district administration of
Cooch Behar posted a signboard of the academy on the historic building
named Victor Palace situated on the west bank of Sagardighi in Cooch
Behar town. Since then nothing has been done about the academy. No
committee was formed, no fund was allotted and nothing was declared
about its functioning. Who to run the academy, how it would function
and from when it to start its journey that are yet unknown to all.

An agitated Barman said they expected the state government do
something for the much awaited academy though there were many
differences over its name. If the state government keeps mum over
functioning of the academy then its image would be shattered. "We will
have to take our steps if they sit idle for a long", he added.

Meanwhile, the GCPP is trying to strengthen its base in Cooch Behar
district. They are now busy in constituting block level committees and
the task may be completed by the end of April. They already formed
block committees at Sitalkuchi, Mathabhanga-I, Dinhata-I, Dinhata-II,
Cooch Behar-I, Haldibari and Tufanganj-II, according to GCPP sources.
After completion of formation of block level committees they would
start formation of Gram Panchayat level committees of the party.

The GCPP supremo, Barman admitted that they are going ahead to take
part in the next three-tier panchayat elections. Before that election
they want to strengthen the organisational base of the party. Soon
after formation of the committees the central committee of the party
would decide over launching of movements. The main demand of their
movement would be 'proper implementation of the agreement by which the
erstwhile Cooch Behar State was merged with Union of India'. This time
they would not agitate to demand recognition of their mother-tongue
and formation of a separate state as these are included in the
historic agreement that was inked between the then Maharaja of Cooch
Behar and the Government of India, Barman explained.