WEST BENGAL - AT A POLITICAL GLANCE:-

  The politics of West Bengal is one of the un-controversials or less controversials throughout the country.West Bengal has seen relatively less political changes and dramas to most of the other states of India.Here there was mostly government of Congress till 1977 and after 1977,it was the historical one of the Left Front.Then now again it is a historical one-All India Trinamool Congress.

  After Independendece till 1977,West Bengal was ruled by the governments of Congress and Bengal Congress.In 1977 general elections,the Left Front,captained by Late Jyoti Basu won and came into the office and then the 'Red Era' of West Bengal started.Late Jyoti Basu became the longest serving CM in the history of India,remaining in office for nearly 24 years.He resigned due to health problems and Budhdhdev Bhattacharya became the only 2nd CM in last 24 years in the year of 2000.This Left Front government governed West Bengal till 2011 and in 2011,West Bengal saw a historic change.All India Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee outplayed the Left and made a first non-left government in the state after 34 years.

  In 1977,the needs of West Bengal were the principles of leftist.They fought for the rights of farmers and poor people.But till 2011,the need of people and the mind of leftist also changed.It is a fact that after Jyoti Basu,the left front couldn't find such a strong leader who can mix up with the people easily.The fall of leftist was started with Jyoti Basu's saying farewell to active politics but after thet they somehow maintained their government in the state.Finally,in 2008,the infamous sagas of Nandigram and Singur made the last blow in the 'Red Fort'.It was an oppurtunity which Mamata Banerjee was waiting from 1998,after breaking away from the Indian National Congress and making a new party-All India Trinamool Congress especially for the welfare of West Bengal and Bengalis.She grabbed the opportunity and defeated the Left Front in 2011 state assembly elections.All India Trinamool Congress won 184 seats out of 294 seats[its alliance won 227,in which INC won 42 and SUCI(C) won 1] and the Leftist only managed to get 62 in this election.

  In West Bengal politics,All India Trinamool Congress and the Left Front have a big present with Indian National Congress at some extent.There are many other parties also like Samajwadi Party,Jharkhand Mukti Morcha,BJP and Gorkha parties especially in the north part[GJM,GNLF,GNLF(C),ABGL etc.] but they all don't have a strong position in the state at whole.There are mainly two big political alliances in the state-All India Trinamool Congress led alliance having Indian National Congress,SUCI(C) and NCP and the other one is the Left Front having the leftist parties.There is also an other alliance of BJP and GJM(Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) present in West Bengal[it won 3 seats in 2011 state assembly elections],which is mainly for the demand of the separate state of Gorkhaland and have a good support in the dooars and the hill region.

  The West Bengal politicians have always maintained their status of people's representative at center.Pre-independence,it was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who made a parallel government to the britishers and fought for the independence maintaining himself out of at that time's inner politics.After independence,Leftist opposed many unfriendly decisions for people and now it is Mamta Banerjee led All India Trinamool Congress who is opposing price hikes even being a part of the government at center.After the recent price hike of 50 rs. in LPG,All India Trinamool Congress led government in the state removed the SESS on gas cylinders immediately.By virtue of that the people of West Bengal will get a relief of 16 rs. in the price hike.

GORKHALAND- AN UNRESULTING FIGHT......

  Gorkhaland is a proposed state in India containing Darjeeling and Dooars in North West Bengal of approximately 7000 sq.km by Gorkha ethnic group.

  The demand of a separate administrative region for Gorkhaland is since 1907.Even from 1935 to 1947,this region was treated as "Partially Excluded Area" by Britishers.After the Independence the cause was uptaken by Akhil Bhartiya Gorkha League(ABGL).This fight was going on smoothly till 1980s.But in 1980s violent movement was carried by Gorkha National Liberation Front(GNLF) led by Subhash Ghising in which near 1200 people met death.It carried to formation of a semiautonomus body called Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council(DGHC) in 1988 to govern the areas of the proposed state.In 2007,because of differences with Subhas Ghising,Bimal Gurung formed a new party-Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJM) and in 2008 this party restarted the fight of separate Gorkhaland.But because of assassaination of Madan Tamang,leader of ABGL in 2010,the movement cooled down as there were names of some GJM leaders in that.But in February 2011,attack on the padyatra of Bimal Gurung by police and GJM winning 3 seats in West Bengal assembly elections 2011 revoked the demand of Gorkhaland.

 The Gorkhas are claiming for separate state because of their identity problems,differences in culture,language and mindset with the people of rest of the West Bengal,less developement of their region and negligence by West Bengal Government(the old one).

  The issue of separate Gorkhaland has not much to do with outer bodies but the inner people.It seems that the Gorkha parties are more interested in personal gains than Gorkhaland.In a proposed state of nearly only 7000 sq.km there are so many political parties to take the gain of the movement.There is ABGL,GNLF,GNLF(C),GJM etc. there demanding for the Gorkhaland.but they lack unity.Madan Tamang of ABGL opposed the way of GJM's movement with peace and after that in the assassaination of him there came names of some GJM leaders.Even in 2003,late C.K.Pradhan(leader of GNLF)'s wife broke away from GNLF and formed GNLF(C).National party like BJP and state party like CPRM(Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists) in West Bengal have supported the formation of Gokhaland but nothing can be done until the Gorkha parties unite.

  After the Madan Tamang issue,the GJM-front Gorkha party nowadays is on backfoot.In addition recently,Shri Mamta Banerjee-Chief Minister Of West Bengal has met GJM leaders for solving the issue and as a result of that a trilateral bill of 'Gorkhaland Autonomus Authority Council' is likely to be signed between GJM,West Bengal gevernment and the Central government which is probably believed as the end of the demand for a separate state.

  As it is said- "Too many cooks spoil the broath",the same has happened with the Gorkhaland issue.