GNLF president Man Ghising warns of political crisis in Darjeeling

 President of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), central committee, Mann Ghising, today stated that the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling Hills are facing a severe political crisis.

SNS | Siliguri | March 13, 2025 : President of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Mann Ghisingh (Photo:Facebook)

President of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), central committee, Mann Ghising, today stated that the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling Hills are facing a severe political crisis.

In a press statement, Mr Ghising said: “The golden opportunity for the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling Hills to secure their rights and shape their destiny has been lost. The failure to implement the Sixth Schedule in our region remains a significant and grave mistake, resulting in increasingly complex issues that we face today.”

Mr Ghising further elaborated: “In this context, I filed a case challenging the legitimacy of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) system in the Calcutta High Court. I had also appealed to all political parties in Darjeeling to boycott the GTA elections, warning that ignoring this appeal would lead to serious difficulties for our community in the future. Unfortunately, the crucial opportunity to boycott the GTA elections was lost, as various political parties in the Darjeeling Hills chose to participate. This has resulted in the chaotic and unstable situation we see in the hills today.”

He emphasised that the community’s final hope now lies in securing a long-term and permanent political solution from the central government. “For the past 15 years, we have supported the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. As our party’s foundation day approaches on 5 April, we urge the Centre to immediately resume dialogue and take decisive steps toward determining a long-term political solution for the Gorkha community and the Darjeeling Hills. We sincerely hope that a comprehensive political solution will be realised before the 2026 Assembly elections. It is our heartfelt appeal that the government listens to us and takes the initiative to deliver a just and rightful solution,” he added.

Mr Ghising also expressed concern over the state government’s current tea land policy. “The issue of 30 per cent of tea garden land being allocated for other commercial purposes has created fear and uncertainty among the people. Additionally, the condition of the Cinchona plantations is deteriorating. Tea workers are compelled to struggle for their rightful Puja bonuses and face continuous oppression from both the government and management to secure their rights. All these problems have emerged as a consequence of neglecting the implementation of the Sixth Schedule,” he claimed.