Morcha sets Dec 5 deadline for meeting with central govt

Pramod Giri, HT, 28 Nov 2016, SILIGURI: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung has set December 5 deadline for the centre to call a meeting to form a committee to look into the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. Else, the party will launch fast unto death in Delhi. Addressing a rally at Kurseong on Sunday, Gurung who is also the chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) said that he has suggested S S Ahluwalia the Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling to convene a meeting by December 5. If the meeting does of happen, we will stage a hunger strike in Delhi. The hunger strike could last till death, Gurung said.

It may be recalled that the GJM claimed that during Gurung’s last meeting with union home minister Rajnath Singh on November 20, Singh asked Ahluwalia, who is the union minister of state for agriculture and parliamentary affairs, to fix a date for the meeting to set up the committee. The formation of the committee and the recognition of 11 hill communities as Schedules Tribes are two main demands of the GJM.

Sunday’s meeting in Kurseong was crucial because the GJM suffered a jolt after Bhupendra Pradhan alias Pradip the party’s vice president and the chairman of GTA left the party and joined the TMC on August 24.

Gurung said, “There is no opposition party in the hills other than the Gorkha National Liberation Front.” Few are joining the TMC with the support of the administration and police, Gurung said adding Pradhan who has already been removed from the post of GTA chairman is still using red light in his car. “We will move to the court against it.”

The GTA will take up Rs 5 crore drinking water project for Kurseong, Gurung announced on Sunday.