North Bengal Parties Form United Front to Demand Statehood

In an effort to further their claim for statehood, eight political parties and organizations with headquarters in north Bengal declared on Monday that they would establish a unified forum.

At a conference that took place outside of Siliguri, the forum known as the United Front for Separate State (UFSS) was established.

A group of people from the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association, the Jay Birsa Munda Ulganam, the SC ST OBC Movement Committee, the Akhil Bharatiya Rajbanshi Samaj, the Bhumiputra United Party, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha led by Bimal Gurung, and the Kamtapur Progressive Party have all joined the forum.

We have established a core committee consisting of eight members, one from each organization. The committee will devise plans for the UFSS to use democratic movements to advance our long-standing demand. We will start up political operations around the region after the celebrations are finished, stated UFSS spokesperson Uttam Roy.

The Kamtapur Progressive Party's Adhir Roy was chosen to serve as the committee's chair. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's coordinator is a candidate named Dipendra Niraula.

The majority of these groups and parties have demands related to statehood. Gorkhaland is the Morcha's desire. The Kamtapur or Greater Cooch Behar state is what the Rajbanshi organizations desire.

The Morcha president, Bimal Gurung, who was present at the meeting, declared that they will keep pursuing their own political goals.

We have gathered in a unified forum to jointly pursue the cause for statehood. The forum will shortly send memoranda requesting appointments for discussions on the matter to the federal and state administrations. Gurung stated, "We would like to know what plans both of these governments have for the eight north Bengali parliamentary constituencies where the demand has been repeatedly voiced.

Trinamul, which is mostly opposed to Bengal being divided further, has responded angrily to the new forum.

"It appears that the BJP is attempting to engage in divisive politics once more by inflaming these individuals' feelings and encouraging them to bring up the matter once more in light of the impending Lok Sabha elections. The saffron camp's tactics are ineffective, according to a top Trinamul official in Siliguri.

BJP officials refuted the accusation. "Our legislators have made a point of criticizing the state government's indifference to north Bengal. However, neither the new forum nor these parties are affiliated with us," a BJP leader from north Bengal stated.