Gurung quits as GJAC prez

SNS, Darjeeling, 30 September 2013: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha chief, Mr Bimal Gurung, today resigned as the president of Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee. He is learnt to have stated in the quit letter his inability to devote much time for the committee as he is leading the single largest party in the Hills. 

He is said to have addressed the letter to the committee’s senior advisor, Mr Enos Das Pradhan. 

The GJAC, the conglomerate of several pro-Gorkhaland parties, was formed on 12 August after the statehood stir was revived following the ruling UPA’s endorsement of the demand for Telangana. 

Mr Gurung was elected its president on 10 September ~ the day the committee suspended the Gorkhaland agitation after the Centre assured the agitators of a tripartite meeting. 

The committee today held an emergency meeting at the GJMM party office to discuss Mr Gurung’s resignation. 

“Mr Gurung has stated in his resignation letter that since he leads the single largest party (GJMM) of the Hills it is proving difficult for him to devote much time to the working of the committee,” Mr Das Pradhan said. 

“When the committee was formed, it was unanimously decided that the presidents of all the concerned political organisations would be in the committee. Thus, Mr Gurung should withdraw his resignation. We badly need his leadership at this critical juncture of the movement,” he added. Despite Mr Gurung having quit, there are, however, many other senior leaders from the GJMM who are still with the committee. 

“We have unanimously concluded at today’s meeting that Mr Gurung would be pressed to withdraw his resignation in the interests of the movement,” Mr Das Pradhan said. The committee is expected to sit for another round of meeting before 6 October.