GNLF ups ante demanding revival of DGHC... Stresses on implementation of Sixth Schedule

EOI, Darjeeling, 14 Sep 2014: The Gorkha National Liberation Front has strongly taken up its demand of reviving the defunct Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and placing the Darjeeling hills under the ambit of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Braving today’s heavy drizzle, GNLF supporters organised a rally in town and later held a street corner in Chowrastha to gain support for their demand. Speaking to the supporters gathered, GNLF Darjeeling sub-division convener MG Subba said, “We will continue to stage rallies and street corners every week until the state and central governments relents to our demand.”

Subash Ghisingh’s GNLF has been organising rallies and road meetings every Sunday since the past month in the three sub-divisions of the hills. Subba said, “The DGHC, which is a constitutionally guaranteed body, must be revived because the present Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is only a temporary arrangement. We are willing to go the distance and start agitations to compel the state and central governments consider our demand.”

According to the GNLF leader, implementation of the Sixth Schedule is the only correct and plausible solution for resolving the crises being faced by the hills. “Bringing the hills under the Sixth Schedule will not only unite the various communities residing here, but it will also prove beneficial for one and all. The Sixth Schedule Bill has already been placed in Parliament by our party president and we will take this issue up soon with the central government,” said Subba.

GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh had stoked up the issue of bringing the hills under the Sixth Schedule back in 2004. After lobbying with the UPA government, he had succeeded in getting an MoS signed in December 2005 wherein the concerned parties were the state government, the Centre and the GNLF. Subsequently in February of 2008, a bill to the effect was placed in Parliament.

However, riding on the anti-Sixth Schedule sentiments of the general public, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha strongly opposed its imposition and got the Bill stalled with the backing of the BJP.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists today, the GNLF Darjeeling sub-divisional convener refused to comment much on why Ghisingh was keeping a low profile despite returning home back to Darjeeling in April of this year. Brushing aside such queries, Subba said, “All we want to say is we will continue holding rallies and street corners every week ahead of the public address by our party president.” However, he said such rallies and meetings would remain suspended during the puja festivities.

It may be mentioned that Ghisingh and other senior GNLF leaders were hounded out of the hills in 2008 after a GJM supporter was killed by a bullet reportedly fired from a GNLF leader’s house. Ghisingh started living in a rented house in Jalpaiguri following the exile, and though he came back to Darjeeling in 2011 he had to pack up and leave immediately after GNLF candidates lost heavily in the Assembly election to the GJM.

The quixotic leader climbed up the hills once again this April after lending his party’s support to the Trinamool Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha election, but is yet to make any public statement, leaving leaders and party supporters in a quandary.