GNLF suporters of Barbotey, Bijanbari-Phulbazar, Rimbick-Lodhama, Rohini and Mirik holds sweet power gatherings

Darjeeling, Dec. 6/VIVEK CHHETRI: GNLF supporters today organised rallies and prepared sweets for themselves at five places across the hills to celebrate the sixth anniversary of an agreement that had promised autonomy for the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The events were construed as an attempt by the GNLF to show that it was still a force to be reckoned with in the hills despite the drubbing the party had received in the Assembly polls.

The unfulfilled promise of the Sixth Schedule status for the hills was given in the agreement signed by the GNLF, the Centre and the state government.

The gatherings and sweet preparations were held at Barbotey, Bijanbari-Phulbazar, Rimbick-Lodhama, Rohini and Mirik as directed by Subash Ghisingh.

“Our party president had asked us to organise rallies today. It was on this day in 2005 that a memorandum of settlement had been signed to grant Sixth Schedule status for the hills. He told us to cook kheer also,” said Mana Hang Subba, the Barbotey village committee president of the GNLF.

The day didn’t end with the sweet preparation alone.

“The party chief wanted us to offer prayers and to dance and make merry on this day,” said Subba.

The supporters offered khada to the statue of a jhakri (shaman), which had been erected at Rock Garden in Darjeeling when Ghisingh was the chairperson of the DGHC.

Observers said the GNLF had held meetings to prove that it was still the party with the largest number of supporters after the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the hills. “This is basically because other political parties in the hills have not been able to mobilise their supporters to bring out rallies as the GNLF did today,” said an observer.

In the last Assembly elections, GNLF candidates had polled combined votes of about 40,000 from Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong seats, though they had forfeited the deposits.

The GNLF today said it was hopeful that there would be “some positive news” by December end. Although the party did not say what “the positive news” would be, the observers believe that the GNLF was likely to challenge the agreement for the formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in the court and expected a favourable verdict.

“The party believes the GTA could not be formed when the Centre is yet to deliver on its promise that the Sixth Schedule status would be accorded to the hills,” said the observer.

-The Telegraph