Morcha vents ire on flag - March against gnlf for ad-hoc workers’ plight

Kalimpong, June 20: Members of the Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan today forced their way into the residential compound of Dawa Pakhrin, the president of the GNLF’s Kalimpong branch, and brought down his party’s flag hung outside the complex and replaced it with that of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

The workers of the Sangathan, an outfit owing allegiance to the Morcha, had gone to Pakhrin’s house at Hilltop in a procession to register their protest against the GNLF’s alleged shabby treatment of the ad hoc employees of the DGHC.

However, as the workers gathered in front of the entrance to Pakrin’s bungalow, shouting slogans against him and the GNLF, some of them forcefully entered the compound despite the presence of a large police contingent.

After replacing the flag, the workers dispersed. They neither entered Pakhrin’s bungalow nor confronted him.

Later, talking to The Telegraph on the phone, Pakhrin said the hollowness of Morcha’s claim of conducting a democratic movement stood exposed by today’s incident. “When all parties in the plains are united in their stand against bifurcation of Bengal, the Morcha, instead of similarly bringing together all hill parties, was targeting other outfits. This is sad and shameful.”

K.C. Rai, the Kalimpong branch president of the Sangathan, said Pakhrin should first learn to respect the will of the people before talking about democracy.

“When 99 per cent of the hill population is behind the Morcha in its fight for Gorkhaland, Pakhrin should heed their cry instead of brazenly flying the flag of a discredited party,” said Rai.

Rai blamed the GNLF for not regularising the ad hoc workers.