Tamang, Thapa commemorate GJM Day, minus Gurung

MP, 7 October 2017, Darjeeling: Rebel leaders Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa are steadily winning the support of other GJM leaders and supporters. While both Tamang and Thapa commemorated the 11th foundation day of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in Darjeeling and Kurseong respectively, GJM President Bimal Gurung continued to be on the run. 

The GJM had been floated on October 7, 2007. Ousting the GNLF, they had seized power in the Hills in 2008. With the resurrection of the Gorkhaland demand and an agitation since June this year, the

Since then, they have been winning support of other GJM leaders. On Friday, the Councillors of the Kurseong Municipality pledged support to Tamang and Thapa. 

Addressing the gathering, Tamang in Darjeeling stated: "We are commemorating the foundation day to keep alive the existence of our party. It is our responsibility to analyse and discuss the 104-day long bandh. However, the day being the foundation day, we will not do that today (Saturday). Instead, we will have six public meetings in the Hills, Terai and Dooars after Diwali, where we will divulge this."

Tamang stated that they will announce the Gorkhaland agitation programme after Diwali. "However, there will be no bandhs," assured Tamang. 

Meanwhile, he stated that the GJM will be creating pressure on the governments (both state and Centre) to hold tripartite talks. On October 16, Tamang and Thapa will be attending talks with the state government at Nabanna.

Meanwhile, Bimal Gurung implicated in multiple cases with a lookout notice and arrest warrant, is on the run. 

In an audio recording sent to the media from an undisclosed location, Gurung wished his supporters on the occasion of the 11th Foundation Day of the party. "I have gone underground for Gorkhaland. This year, we are commemorating the Foundation Day on a low key note, however, in 2018, we will commemorate it on a grand scale," stated Gurung. 

He stated that Tamang and Thapa had betrayed the cause hence they should be despised. "Now, they are threatening people to join them. They are even bribing contractors and promising them contracts to get them on their side," alleged Gurung. 

The GJM president alleged that he had not called the 104-day bandh and it was Binay Tamang without consulting Gurung had done so.