GRC prez Nima Lama advocates for Sikkim-Darj merger

EOI, Kurseong, 4 January 2014: The Gorkha Rashtriya Congress, (GRC), president, Nima Lama said that with the frequent formation of autonomous bodies the hill people must now understand and be aware that except for the Sikkim-Darjeeling merger option there is no other solution of separation from Bengal.

Talking to the reporters, Lama who is also the GRC candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, said now the hill people must understand that besides the merger there is no other option which is best for the hills people to form a separate state. He said that the Darjeeling people have been demanding separation from Bengal, since a long time in the name of a separate state of Gorkhaland.

He further added thousands of people have sacrificed their lives during the GNLF led bloody Gorkhaland agitation in 1986 but instead of a separate state, an autonomous body was formed in Darjeeling hills, hinting towards the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, (DGHC).  “Later, after two decades, once again, we came forward supporting the GJM led Gorkhaland agitation. However, we didn’t achieve Gorkhaland but an autonomous body again and this time only the name has changed from Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, (GTA).”

Lama further claimed that the Central leadership in Delhi does not even want to hear the demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland; hence, it can be presumed it is difficult to achieve Gorkhaland. He said that recently a team of GRC had met the Home Minister, where the central leadership supported their merger demand and to make it a reality even asked for public mandate in the Hills. “Thus, now the question of separation state totally remains with us and the time is ripe for the masses to come forward in support of a Sikkim-Darjeeling merger and finally make our dream a reality by showing that the public mandate is for merger,” he added.