Gorkha Janmukti Morcha warns of fresh stir

Deep Gazmer, TNN, 12 July 2013, DARJEELING: With the crucial Congress meeting for Telangana slated for Friday, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) party has threatened to launch a fresh agitation to press for the separate statehood demand. which could again disrupt the prevailing peace and stability of the Hills.

The GJM leaderships on Thursday huddled for an emergency meeting in Darjeeling which was chaired by party president Bimal Gurung. This after the Union government gave indication that it was ready to create a separate Telengana state.

"Ours is over hundred years old demand which is justified. If Telangana is created then Gorkhaland should also be formed. On Thursday, our party leadership has taken a resolution that we will start a fresh agitation if Telangana is created without considering our separate statehood demand," said Roshan Giri, GJM general secretary, after the meeting which was attended by its central committee and study forum and the three Hills MLAs.

With the recent strained relation with the state government, GJM had warned of a fresh agitation for a separate state. After the state government extended an olive branch and accepted some demands that was placed before it, the GJM party walked the development path while putting on hold its demand for time being.

However, over the past one month the central government gave indications of possibility of creating a Telengana state. Congress leaders from Delhi had even huddled for meeting with both pro and anti Telengana state agitators.

"The central government is serious in creating a Telengana state. In fact, on Friday the Congress core committee will be sitting for a meeting in New Delhi to take a decision on Telengana. Today, we have also taken a resolution that if Telengana is created then Gorkhaland should also be given," said Giri.

The GJM leadership also drafted a letter today to the union Prime Minister, the Union home minister and to the All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi expressing their demand for a separate state along with Telengana.

"It will grave injustice to us if Telengana is created without Gorkhaland. We will keep a close watch in tomorrow's development in Delhi. But, one thing is definite that we will not sit idle as we too are serious about our rightful demandA," said the GJM general secretary.