GLP on lips, rituals on Gurung mind - Morcha leader to talk with junior defence minister, seek meeting with PM

Bimal Gurung in Darjeeling on Thursday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Nov. 13: Bimal Gurung today said he would leave for Delhi on Saturday to discuss with the defence ministry the issue of absorbing Gorkhaland Personnel into the uniformed forces and also try to meet the Prime Minister.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has written to Delhi seeking an appointment with Narendra Modi with whom the leaders want to discuss the Gorkhaland statehood demand.

The party chief’s Delhi trip was announced at a juncture when police are looking for a GTA Sabha elected member, Sanjay Thulung, for his suspected involvement in an arms haul case in Assam.

Two people arrested in Assam have said the arms and ammunition in their vehicle were being brought to Darjeeling on the instructions of Thulung.

Morcha leaders today denied that the trip had anything to do with a police raid at Thulung’s house on November 9 and news that one of the persons arrested in the case is allegedly a Gorkhaland Personnel member.

Shooting down the theory that the trip was planned after the arms haul came to light, party sources said Gurung’s visit was planned almost a month back.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri, however, attributed a holy purpose to the trip, but his statement seemed to suggest that the visit to Delhi was indeed planned recently.

“We were primarily going to Varanasi for religious rituals. But when we met the minister of state for defence at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute today, he said he could meet us (in Delhi) either on November 22 or 23. As far as the Prime Minister is concerned, we have written for an appointment,” Giri said.

Morcha leaders Giri, Binay Tamang, Anit Thapa, Nima Tamang and Arun Sigchi will accompany Gurung to Delhi and Varanasi for the weeklong trip.

Gurung today spoke about one of GTA’s pet issues — absorbing the volunteer force called the Gorkhaland Personnel into the uniformed forces.

“The GTA agreement has a provision for this (absorbing Gorkha youths) and we want to talk about this issue during our meeting with the minister (of state for defence),” he said.

“We have already decided to hold a dharna in Delhi over the Gorkhaland issue (in December),” Gurung added while mentioning that he plans to meet Modi.

Minister of state for defence Rao Inderjit Singh was in Darjeeling today for the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s diamond jubilee (60 years) celebrations when the Morcha leaders spoke to him.

Gurung today said that during his Delhi trip he would “visit Subash Ghisingh and extend whatever help is needed. This is purely on humanitarian grounds.” Ghisingh was admitted to a Delhi hospital a fortnight back with old age-related ailments.