GNLF wants Sixth Schedule Bill in Parliament... GNLF leaders madethis demand ata programme in MirikByabasayi Bhawan

SNS, 29 January 2020: The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) today demanded that a Bill for the Sixth Schedule status for the Hills be placed in upcoming Budget Session of Parliament.

GNLF leaders made this demand at a programme organised at the Mirik Byabasayi Bhawan in Mink Bazaar, Darjeeling, held to pay homage to their late leader, Subash Ghisingh, on his 5th death anniversary.

"We want the Sixth Schedule status granted for the Hills within this Budget Session, which starts in the first week of February. We appeal to both MP Raju Bistha and MLA (Neeraj Zimba) that the Bill be placed in the Budget Session," GNLF spokesperson Mahendra Chettri said.

The GNLF had in the steering committee meeting recently taken a decision to rev-up its demand for such a status, maintaining that it would protect the people from the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CM) and the National Population Register (NPR).

"I* want the Sixth Schedule status given here before the CM and NPR is implemented. The BJP has already said that the two exercises would not be done in areas that fall under the Sixth Schedule," Mr Chettri said, adding that many people here are in fear the CAA and the NPR.

In Mink today, 108 traditional oil-fed lamps and Khadas (traditional scarf) were placed in front of the photo of Subash Ghisingh to pay homage to him.

Similar programmes were held at different places today all over the hills.

It may be mentioned here that the party had recently iterated its Sixth Scheduled demand and said that such a status would shield them from the controversial Nalional Register of Citizens (NRC) too. However, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (Binoy Tamang faction) and political observers had reminded the GNLF that the NRC was very much implemented in areas that came under the Sixth Schedule in Assam.

As the final NRC list was published on 31 August last year in Assam, around 19 lakh people were excluded from the same, including an estimated 1 lakh Gorkhas.