GJMM to take up statehood issue directly with centre... Bimal Gurung cites T’gana’s example, formed without state govt consent

SNS, Darjeeling/Kurseong, 27 July 2014: As Darjeeling Hills commemorated the sacrifice made by people during the Gorkhaland agitation so far, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha, supremo Bimal Gurung  said he will not let the deaths of the martyrs’ go in vain.

He was speaking here at a programme organized to mark the 25th 'Sahid Diwas' (martyrs day).
The Hill leader has time and again said that his party is working on the statehood demand directly with the central government this time around. He has been citing the example of Telengana state that was formed without the state government’s consent.
On the occasion today, the Hills remembered the 1,207 people on record, who died during the various phases of the Gorkhaland
movement. While 1200 died during the 1986-88 agitation led by Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Subhas Ghisingh, seven died during the agitation led by the GJMM since 2007. One more martyr was Mangal Singh Rajput, who set himself on fire during the renewed agitation by the GJMM in August last year.
While ritual arts were performed in today’s programme at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan, family members of more than 200 martyrs were felicitated.
"Their blood will not go in vain as our fight for Gorkhaland continues in a peaceful and democratic manner," Mr Gurung later said on his Facebook page.
He also slammed supporters of the GNLF for, "endorsing a defunct DGHC (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) and not Gorkhaland."
GNLF supporters too observed the day at Bloomfield in Rishihat near Darjeeling.
At the programme, Mr Gurung said many families of the martyrs have not been getting “proper treatment.” He criticized the DGHC, the former autonomous body in the Hills, formed in the aftermath of the agitation (1986-88), for its “misapprehension” towards martyr's families.
"In the 18 years the DGHC ruled, around 6000 people got employment, but not even 100 martyr families received jobs in the council," he said.
"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is working to look after the families of the martyrs," the leader said.
Meanwhile, at Eagle’s Crag in Kurseong, GJMM leaders and supporters, individuals, family members of the martyrs, and the chairman of Kurseong Municipality, Samirdeep Blon, paid homage to the martyrs by lighting lamps and offering garlands at Sahid Bedi.
Later, a programme was also organized by the Sahid Diwas Samaroh Committee in the GDNS Hall in the town, where Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma said “we have not stopped fighting for Gorkhaland.”
The GNLF, too, observed the day at Longview Tea Estate, where hundreds of party supporters from many parts of the Hills gathered and paid tributes to the martyrs under the leadership of the GNLF Kurseong Branch President, Nima Lama.