Tamang camp plans `march for change'

SNS, KURSEONG.19 DECEMBER 2020 : Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader Anit Thapa today said that a 'parivartan yatra (march for change)' will be organised from Sonada to Darjeeling on 26 December to bring about a change in the Hills.

"I want to see how many of you want change in the Hill's and how many of you support our endeavour to change the Hills," said Mr Thapa, who is also the chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Addressing a meeting organised under the banner of the Bhartiya Gorkha Bhutpurva Sainik & Ardha Sainik Sangathan, an association of former defence personnel, at Montiviot Ground in Kurseong in Darjeeling today, Mr Thapa added that they were compelled to usher in "new changes with new thoughts" due to the "wrong leadership" during the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation.

According to him, former personnel of defence forces have contributed a lot in even' agitation, but that their contribution was never honoured.

"We should create a new Darjeeling Hills and bring about change here with the help of educated people, intellectuals and ex-servicemen," Mr Thapa said.

"Not only the ex-servicemen, but even martyrs have not been honoured appropriately," he added.

According to him, to honour and pay tributes to the martyrs, they would build a memorial at Chowrasta in Darjeeling town, "through which, every visitor will come to know of the history of the Gorkha martyrs."

On the other hand, Col (Rtd) Kesav Rai said today's rally was organised in support of the 'naya soch naya bichaar' (new thinking, new belief) propagated by Morcha leaders Mr Thapa and Binoy Tamang. "They trained Gorkhaland police personnel earlier, but now with the new thinking we want to impart training to our youths so that they get recruitment in the Army. Not only this, we want to work and stand up for the naya soch, naya bichaar, for the overall development of the llills," he said.