Hill trio launch Bhartiya Gorkhaland Sangharsh Committee

YOWAN MOTHAY, EOI, KALIMPONG, JANUARY 23, 2023:  Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung, Hamro Party president Ajoy Edwards and unattached leader from the hills Binoy Tamang in a meeting in Kalimpong on Monday announced the formation of a platform named Bhartiya Gorkhaland Sangharsh Committee with the only goal of the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Bimal Gurung announced that the Committee would not have allegiance to any particular political party but would work for the entire Gorkha community and the lovers of the soil of the hills. 

A nine-member team had been formed for running the Committee. Their portfolios had not yet been decided. It would be launched formally on February 9.

“Special people” from different parts of the country were a part of the platform. 

He demanded that the Centre should call this platform for talks. He said the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was an obstacle for this platform and the GTA should be abolished. He also said everyone should unite at the crucial juncture when the Centre was infavour of a division of north Bengal. Hes aid from the coming March the Committee would go to the people and conduct public awareness programmes for the formation of a Gorkhaland state.

Ajoy Edwards said there must be unity to achieve the goal. The Committee was a platform to achieve the liberation of the Gorkha community from West Bengal and everyone should fight together under the banner of the Committee. 

He said in the Gorkhaland movement nearly 1,200 people were martyred but the goal was not achieved because there was no unity. Everyone should learn from the past mistakes and struggle for unity.

Binoy Tamang said now that the movement for a separate state had started, there should be no two options. Anyone could join the platform which did not belong to any party. Colourful cultural programmes and songs were presented on the occasion.