GNWO mass meet in Darj for Sixth Schedule demand

SNS, DARJEELING, 12 DECEMBER: The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) is all set to start various programmes, demanding implementation of the Sixth Schedule status in the Hills, with their women's wing deciding to organise a public meeting in Darjeeling on 31 December.

The date was decided upon in a meeting of the women's wing, the Gorkha National Women's Organization, held today at the Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Samellan Hall. The GNLF has been planning for a full- fledged campaign for its demand, while senior party leaders have recently said that Gorkhaland can be achieved only through the Sixth Schedule.

"We had decided to hold a public meeting to make people aware of the Sixth Schedule demand on 24 December, but there are chances of the chief minister visiting the Hills that time. As such, we have decided to hold the meeting at Chowk Baazar here on 31st of this month," GNWO general secretary Manzila Tamang said.

"A rally will be organized that day From Kakjhora to Chowk Baazar." she added_ Apart from it being a meeting for the Sixth Schedule demand, sources said the public rally will also be a show of strength of the party in the town area with many supporters joining the party of late.

It may he mentioned here that a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) had been signed by the GNLF, the Centre and the state Government on 6 December 2005 for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule in the hills. However, the same could not be implemented then after it met with stiff resistance from different political parties in the Hills. After the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha replaced the then ruling party, GNLF in the Hills on 18 July,2011, the MOA for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was signed. which replaced the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

GNLF sources have further claimed that planning is afoot to organize such public meetings in other places of the hills in the coming days.