Bimal's party knocked at PM's door

Darjeeling : The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has faxed a memorandum to the Prime Minister and the Union home minister requesting them to look into the Gorkhaland demand “seriously”.

This is the first step taken by the new anti-Subash Ghisingh party in the hills after it was formed by dissident GNLF leader Bimal Gurung, who had broken away to pursue a “non-violent” movement to demand a separate state.

The letter, signed by Roshan Giri, one of the general secretaries of the new outfit, maintains that theirs was one of the oldest statehood demands in the country and should be looked into “seriously”.

“The demand for self-rule was first raised in 1907, but we have been denied justice for so long. Even the State Reorganisation Commission failed to address our grievances in 1956,” the letter states.

According to party sources, the process of induction and allocation of duties in the new party continued during the day.

Binay Tamang, the party secretary in charge of publicity, today said members of the Gorkha National Students’ Front — a GNLF affiliate — in Kurseong College has decided to shift loyalty.

“People from different parts of the hills are coming to our party office and extending support. Nagendra Pradhan, the upa-pradhan of the Badamtang gram panchayat has been has been made the convener of the party in Lebong,” said Tamang.

Pradhan was a member of the CPRM.

“Similarly Bijay Subba has been made the president of the Yuva Morcha in the Ging-Galentar area,” said Tamang. “We will also open labour units in Risheehat and Chungtung tomorrow.”

The GJM has also claimed that trade union bodies are being formed in six tea gardens in the Tukvar-Lebong valleys. Navin Lama, a former secretary of the GNLF’s trade union from Upper Singtam has also offered to open a unit of the new party in the area.

Source: The Telegraph