Arrest of Gorkha Seva Sena leaders by Sikkim Police sparks debate in Darjeeling

DEEP GAZMER, EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 8, 2025 : The arrest of three leaders of the Gorkha Seva Sena (GSS) by the Sikkim police on Saturday has started a debate and political opinions in the Darjeeling hills.

Bikramadi Rai, chief convener, Subash Mani Singh, convener, and Noel Sharma, convener of the GSS, were picked up by the Sikkim police from their homes in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Sikkim, respectively. The arrested GSS leaders were produced before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gangtok by the Sikkim police and remanded for five days for further questioning.

The GSS has been raising the demand for the merger of Darjeeling with the Sikkim state on historical grounds. Reportedly, the Sikkim Home Department had filed a complaint against the three, and accordingly, the Sikkim Police under sections 152, 196 (1), and 336 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 arrested the three GSS leaders.

With the arrest of the three GSS leaders, political parties in Darjeeling shared their opinions on the arrest.

"We condemn and protest the arrest of the GSS leaders. Sikkim and Darjeeling have their own history and identity. We have never approved the merger of Darjeeling with Sikkim. However, such acts will disturb the cordial relation of the citizens of Darjeeling and Sikkim," Gorkha Janmukti Morcha youth president Noman Rai said.

Former Gorkhaland Territorial Administration chairman and present Sabhasad Binoy Tamang said the arrest was politically motivated. "Our Constitution provides us the fundamental and democratic right to raise demands. The arrest of the GSS leaders is politically motivated. I fear it may create a negative impact on the entire Nepali Diaspora in the country. It is important now to maintain democracy and social security," he said.

The Gorkha Rastriya Congress (GRC), the original organization spearheading the demand for the merger of Darjeeling with Sikkim, termed the arrested GSS leaders as warriors. "The arrest is political in nature, which we condemn. We are demanding that they be treated according to law and the Constitution. Those who speak for the community, identity, and motherland and get arrested are warriors, and going to jail is the credential of their contribution. We appeal to all in Darjeeling and Sikkim to maintain peace, as this is a fight of law and Constitution," GRC general secretary Subodh Pakhrin said.

The GSS was formed earlier this year with the objective to identify and find ways to resolve the issues of the Gorkha community of the hills, including creating awareness of the problems of nepotism and corruption plaguing the autonomous hill body.

"Arrest is always the last option. We must first try to talk and debate to solve an issue. Our ultimate goal is a separate Gorkhaland state. People and leaders of Sikkim have dismissed the merger notion. Sikkim has the right to self-governance, and we have no right to create disturbances," Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front chief convener Ajoy Edwards said.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha termed the arrest as a dark day and said other alternatives should have been adopted before making the arrest. "The arrest of the GSS leaders was as per law, but other avenues should have been broached. Views may or may not be accepted. However, everyone has the right to their opinion. It is a dark day for the relation between Darjeeling and Sikkim. The arrest is not only unfortunate, but it has also hurt the prestige of the Darjeeling hills," BGPM secretary Keshavraj Pokharel said.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front was critical of the GSS and said the arrest was not politically motivated. "People of Sikkim have rejected the idea of merger with Darjeeling. Freedom to speak is also responsibility to think. The GSS has been indulging in repeating the idea of the merger not articulated as an academic provocation but as a politically actionable proposition. The law draws a line not to restrict dissent but to restrain disorder. In fact, had it been so, leaders of the GRC who have raised similar propositions would have been arrested," GNLF secretary general and BJP Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba said.