Rivals set same venue for Martyrs’ Day
Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, July 1: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the GNLF have both decided to observe Martyrs’ Day at the same venue in Mirik on July 27.
Neither of the
parties has sought permission from the Darjeeling district
administration yet to hold the memorial service at the martyr’s column
in Mirik. There are obvious law-an-order issues that the administration
would have in mind, given a recent skirmish between the Morcha and the
GNLF. “Let us wait and watch as no party has sought permission,” said a
district official.
The women’s wing of the GNLF will organise the event in Mirik, said party sources.
The Morcha has
been conducting the memorial event at the same place since 2008 and the
party has said there won’t be any change of plan this year.
Since 1988, when
the DGHC was formed, the GNLF has been marking July 27 as Martyrs’ Day
to pay obeisance to hill people who had died in the violent movement for
Gorkhaland led by Subash Ghisingh from 1986 to 1988. The GNLF claims
that 1,200 people had died in the 28-month agitation.
However, after the
emergence of the Morcha in October 2007, the GNLF was unable to observe
the Martyrs’ Day as its leaders were almost hounded out of the hills.
The Morcha has been marking the day across the hills since 2008 and in
Mirik, the martyr’s column is where the hill party did their memorial
meeting.
For the first time since 2007, the GNLF has decided to mark the day across the hills this year.
The GNLF has been trying to rebuild its base in Mirik and Kurseong, a matter that has not gone unnoticed by the Morcha.
Yesterday, a group
of GNLF activists alleged that Morcha supporters chased their vehicle
in Kurseong and assaulted them after they tried to organise a meeting in
the subdivision. Three Morcha supporters and a GNLF activist were
arrested today in connection with the violence.
Laadup Ghisingh, a
GNLF spokesman, said: “We have already carried out a campaign to clean
the martyr’s column, situated at Krishna Nagar in Mirik. The Gorkha
National Women Organisation has decided to organise the Martyrs’ Day at
the venue on July 27 from 10am onwards and representatives of the
party’s other frontal organisations will also be present.”
Laadup said the
party had not organised the event all these years as the Morcha was
claiming to be the champion of Gorkhaland. “They (Morcha) said they
would get Gorkhaland but now they have settled for the GTA Sabha and
have forgotten the statehood issue. We are trying to get Gorkhaland
through the Sixth Schedule status. We are committed to the statehood
demand and that is why we have decided to mark Martyrs’ Day,” said
Laadup.
The Morcha also
vowed to hold the memorial event in front of the same martyr’s
column.“Since we have been holding a event near the martyr’s column
since the formation of the party, we have no plan to make a change in
our programme this year,” said Phoebe Rai, a Morcha leader from Mirik
and GTA Sabha member from the area.
Laadup said the GNLF would seek permission to hold the event soon.
“We have already
adopted a resolution to organise the event. We will also mobilise our
supporters who have enlisted in the village protection cell,” said
Laadup.
Village protection
cells are voluntary wings of the GNLF in which youths are enlisted to
ensure the protection of their cadres during the party’s public
meetings.
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