Ghisingh barb ... TMC working president and others reesign

TT, Calcutta, July 5: The GNLF president today asked Bimal Gurung, without naming him, to concentrate on the statehood agitation and stop "listening to everyone" and iterated that his party no longer demanded the Sixth Schedule status for the hills.

Without taking the name of the GNLF, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president had said yesterday: "I am hearing that a Sixth Schedule khichdi is being cooked by the Bengal government to bring about disunity."

In a reply to Gurung's barb, the GNLF president Mann Ghisingh, told a rally in Darjeeling today: "We are hearing a lot of things. I would request you to stop listening to everyone. We are no longer interested in the Sixth Schedule status and our demand now is only Gorkhaland."

Ghisingh was addressing GNLF workers who took out a march from Dali to Clubside in Darjeeling.

Asking Gurung to remain "guarded" against various conspiracies, Ghisingh called upon the Morcha leadership to "concentrate" on the large goal. "We must all concentrate on the larger goal. I would also suggest that the all-party co-ordination committee (formed to pursue the Gorkhaland demand) to start working. Things are lingering. Is the delay in holding meetings and formulating a strategy a ploy to derail this all-party initiative," said Ghisingh.

In another development, Trinamul today faced a major jolt with the party's working president in the hills, N.B. Khawash, and vice-presidents, Parishma Giri and Mohan Lama, resigning. "We have resigned from Trinamul considering the aspirations of people and in support of the mass movement. We are hopeful that the people's aspiration will not be let down this time," said Khawash.

Today, a joint procession by the Morcha, CPRM and Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha was organised in Darjeeling, followed by a public meeting at Chowk Bazar in the town.

Dawa Pakhrin, the president of the GRNM, said: "Bengal is tired. We are getting positive messages from the Centre and the people's movement will not be wasted this time."