Gurung holiday gesture for foe - Saturday salute: Hill offices to be shut

A man folds his hands standing in front of Ghisingh’s hearse at Bagdogra.
Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 30: Bimal Gurung may be wanting to opt out of Bengal, but he is upholding one Bengali tradition: declaring holidays.

Displaying magnanimity after the death of Subash Ghisingh, whom he disallowed from coming up to the Darjeeling hills, Gurung today declared that tomorrow would be a holiday to pay respect to the late GNLF leader.

"As a mark of respect for the late Gorkha leader, Shri Subash Ghisingh, all offices under the GTA will remain closed on Saturday, January 31st, 2015," Gurung said today.

Gurung had not only ousted Ghisingh from the hills, but also banished the GNLF chief, who was once called " pahar ko Raja" (the king of the hills) to the plains.

The Morcha president said he would be unable to attend Ghisingh's cremation on Sunday. "I will not be able to go, but I will send my people. We will also call a session of the GTA in the near future to express our condolences," Gurung said.

Gurung was Ghisingh's lieutenant before he formed the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on October 7, 2007.

Ghisingh was forced to leave Darjeeling on July 26, 2008, a day after a Morcha activist was shot dead, the bullet allegedly fired from the house of a GNLF leader in Darjeeling.

A lady waits with flowers to pay tribute to Ghisingh at Bagdogra airport on Friday.
Picture by Kundan 

Even when Ghisingh's wife Dhanmaya died on August 16, 2008, the GNLF leader's family could not bring her body to Darjeeling for her last rites.

Dhanmaya's body had to be taken back from Kurseong after word spread that Morcha supporters had blocked the road.The last rites were done at Siliguri Kiranchandra Crematorium.

Ghisingh returned to the hills on April 8, 2011, to campaign for GNLF-supported candidates in the Assembly elections, but he decided to leave Darjeeling in May after alleged GNLF supporters killed a Morcha activist in Sonada.

Ghisingh visited the hills - his Dr Zakir Hussain Road home - on March 19, 2014, just before the Lok Sabha polls. The GNLF supported Trinamul in the general elections.

Given the perception among the Morcha leadership that Ghisingh could not be a political threat anymore because of his failing health and his dwindling base, Gurung seemed to have softened his stance towards the GNLF chief.

Gurung and senior Morcha leaders turned up at a hospital in Delhi on November 15 last year to see Ghisingh.

But the Morcha chief could not meet Ghisingh. He spoke to Mohan, Ghisingh's son.

Gurung offered "help" for Ghisingh's treatment, but GNLF supporters in Darjeeling refused to accept any help. They pooled in for Ghisingh's treatment.

Correction

The name of Subash Ghisingh's wife Dhanmaya was erroneously mentioned as Dhan Kumari in a caption that was a part of "The eventful era of 'Appa'" in the edition dated January 30. We apologise for the mistake.