COOCH BEHAR NEWS

Border villagers' sit-in at Dinhata

The West Bengal state committee of the
'Bharat Simante Katatarer Berar Epare Basobaskari Nagarik Mancha' (a
platform of residents that are residing inside of the barbed wire
fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border), organized a daylong sit-in
at Dinhata on Tuesday. They also submitted memorandums to the
ministers of the Central government and the state government through
the local Block Development Officer.

The president of the border residents' platform, Haripada Mandal
alleged that the residents who live inside and outside of the barbed
wire fencing are citizens of India but they are being deprived of all
amenities extended by the government. This situation should not
continue. To draw attention of the authorities to the plight of the
bordering people they organized the sit-in, Mandal said. He demanded
that the border gates should be kept open from 6 am to 6 pm and one
gate should be kept open for 24 hours for emergency needs. He also
demanded permanent rehabilitation for the Indian residents who live
outside of the border fencing. Mandal said they urged the authorities
to lay fencing where it is yet to be placed. The barbed wire fencing
should be laid along the zero-point of the Indo-Bangladesh border, he
demanded.

Split in GCDP prior to rural polls

Just before the Panchayat elections, a number of
leaders and supporters of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party
(GCDP) left the party and joined the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples Party
(GCPP). It created a sensation among the people of Cooch Behar who are
in favour of a separate state, Kamtapur or Greater Cooch Behar.

An assistant general secretary of the GCDP, Bhabesh Barman and another
two central committee member of the party left the party and joined
the GCPP. Leaders like Bhaben dakua, Shibu Barman, Dulal Roy and
Suresh Barman also followed them. The president of the GCPP, Bangshi
Badan Barman welcomed the move and accepted them to his party. It will
be of great help to strengthen the Greater Cooch Behar movement, he
said.

Bhabesh Barman alleged that they left the GCDP as the president of the
party is not working in favour of united movement. He wants to
maintain his leadership with separate identity. The GCDP president,
Ashutosh Barma however denied the allegation. He said he wanted
Bangshi Badan Barman as the leader of the party when he came out from
the jail. But, he formed a new party named GCPP. It is not an effort
towards united movement, he commented. He termed the leaders 'spy of
the government' who are trying to break the movement. Instead of
pulling members and leaders from any 'pro-Greater Cooch Behar' party
they should mobilize people from other political parties, he opined.

GCPP president Bangshi Badan Barman said they want proper
implementation of the agreement by which erstwhile Cooch Behar State
was merged with India. By this measure the dream to form a separate
state will be materialized, he said. As the leaders like Ashutosh
Barma have no political foresight they are trying to maintain
existence of separate parties instead of any effort to strengthen the
movement.