Tamang warms up for first rally

Vivek Chhetri,TT, Jan 20, 2018 Darjeeling: Binay Tamang will address a rally at Sukna on Sunday, his first public meeting in seven months during which time he was appointed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief.

The meet at Sukna, near Siliguri, is being seen as a show of strength by Tamang and his supporters are confident it will be one of the biggest gatherings in recent months.

"Tomorrow (Sunday), I will be speaking at a public meeting for the first time in seven months. Today, I am speaking as an administrator but tomorrow it will be a political address," Tamang said in Darjeeling on Saturday as he distributed approval letters to 429 teachers.

The 429 teachers had been given appointment in various hill schools in 2010 by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council but with approval coming only through the DGHC education secretary and not the district inspector of schools, the teacher's post retirement benefits were in doubt.

"One has to have a positive approach to solve many issues," Tamang said, probably alluding to the lack of such an approach by his Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) rival Bimal Gurung who had strained relations with the Bengal government through the previous GTA's tenure.

Party insiders believe Tamang, who took charge of the GTA on September 25, 2017, is likely to spell out his vision on Sunday.

The Tamang group has held public meetings in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong since September but apart from addressing a crowd for a few minutes in Darjeeling on October 7, Tamang himself has not addressed any major gathering.

The main speaker in all previous meetings - which had had an impressive turnout - has always been Tamang confidant Anit Thapa. Thapa, too, will speak at the Sukna meet on Sunday.