March to mark hill unity

Kalimpong, June 17: While “all-party” meetings were being held in Calcutta and Darjeeling, non-Gorkha communities came together under one umbrella to lend support to the demand for a separate state here today.

Marwaris, Muslims, Bengalis and other communities braved rains to attend a rally organised by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The people marched through the streets before the procession culminated at the Mela Ground where a public meeting was held.

As speaker after speaker thundered their support for the creation of Gorkhaland, the local Morcha leaders took a backseat on the dais.

Among others, Kapil Periyal, Munna Prasad, Aman Chisti and M.N. Bhattacharya spoke. They flayed the Bengal government for trying to give a communal colour to what, according to them, was essentially a political issue.

“The recent incidents of attacks on our Gorkha brethren in Siliguri need to be condemned by one and all. Instead of painting a black picture of the basic character of the movement, the people making charges should come to the hills and see for themselves if any sort of violence is taking place here,” said Prasad.

Bhattacharya, too, condemned the Siliguri incident and accused the Bengal government of trying to communalise the agitation.

Periyal, on his part, assured the people that the business community would do all it could to ensure steady supply of essential items during the bandh. “We have stocked enough food items keeping in mind the fact that the strike is indefinite.”

Chisti said Muslims in the hills saw themselves a part of the Gorkha society. “We may be a religious minority, but consider ourselves to be part and parcel of the larger Gorkha society. That is why we, too, are taking up cudgels for Gorkhaland.”