JAN AWAAZ elected its office bearers to people's Movement

NEW DELHI : In a meeting held at International Conference Centre, YMCA New Delhi on 28th September, the newly formed peoples’ group JAN AWAAZ elected its office bearers and vowed to represent the peoples’ voice. Giving a national shape to the organisation, Jan Awaaz elected eminent journalist and respected Gorkha figure Joel Rai as its National President, well known activist and prominent Gorkhaland Movement leader MunishTamang as National General Secretary, SonamBhutia as National Treasure, young activist Sankalp Lama as National Coordinator, AshimSunam as Media Coordinator and SupreetPradhan as President of Delhi Chapter. With the election of its National office bearers, Jan Awaaz will now actively work towards membership enrolment on an all India basis. Coordinators will be appointed for all regions. Membership forms and online membership will soon be made available for all those desiring to be part of Jan Awaaz. Speaking to the gathering, Joel Rai pointed out the need to create an all India movement of Gorkhas rather than one that is Darjeeling-centric. 

He also asserted that people are crying out for change as the current leadership has not been able to deliver on people’s aspirations. MunishTamang pointed out that the Neta-Janta model has not proved to be successful as there is a serious disconnect between the peoples’ voice and its representation by the leaders. Leaders have been unable to truly represent peoples’ voice and therefore the need to create a leadership that is Janta based and is led by common people. Pointing out that despite 100% people wanting Gorkhaland leaders have been compromising on other administrative arrangements, Tamang said that the need of the hour is to organise the voice of the silent majority and create a leadership that is clean, credible, and sincere. Sankalp Lama also spoke of the disappointment with the leadership that has failed its people time and again and pledged to work among all sections, especially the educated youth, in creating an environment in which the leaders become answerable people. 

Supreet Pradhan spoke at length about the largely untapped Gorkha strength in Delhi and the need to evolve effective strategies to strengthen the community and the organisation in Delhi. On the election of the new Chief of GTA, Jan Awaaz passed a resolution that it had no comment to make as it had no interest in the GTA. However, it urged the political leadership and the Sabhasads to prove their sincerity by convening a meeting and passing a resolution for the creation of Gorkhaland and the dissolution of GTA. The meeting also took note of the reports of molestation of a school girl in Darjeeling and condemned the incident. Jan Awaaz also demanded that strictest action be taken by the administration in punishing the guilty. Jan Awaaz also condemned the reported police action on students who were protesting the incident. The meeting was attended by people from all walks of life.