Talking today to reporters in Kurseong, GNLF spokesperson Daya Dewan said party activists and supporters are upset with the news of the departure of their chief. He added some newspapers have reported the development by adding their own theories and assumptions to sensationalise Ghisingh’s departure. The press is considered as one of the founding pillars of democracy, but the way in which some newspapers have published the news of the GNLF chief’s departure has hurt and disappointed party supporters as the idea seems suggestive of misleading them, claimed Dewan.
He asserted Ghisingh has left Darjeeling for personal reasons and hence the party did not deem it worth reporting the matter in public. The GNLF president stayed at a hotel in Bagdogra Sunday night and met a doctor. Ghisingh will stay at the hotel for two more days before returning to Darjeeling, according to Dewan.
The GNLF spokesperson said Ghisingh has not left Darjeeling under political pressure as reported by some dailies but for a health checkup and will soon return home to Darjeeling.
Dewan added, “Such concocted reports have hurt the GNLF at a time when it is trying to regroup and revive its political agenda. A lot of phone calls have started coming in from grassroots supporters asking whether it is true that the party president has indeed left Darjeeling due to political pressure. We appeal to reporters not to cook up stories by adding their own views.” (EOIC)
Kurseong, 21 July: Supporters of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) are crying hoarse over news reports published today in some newspapers that said their chief, Subhas Ghisingh, yesterday left Darjeeling due to ‘political pressure’ being mounted on him in the Hills.
Party activists said they were “demoralized” by the manner in which the news reports of Mr Ghisingh’s departure had been presented by some media houses. Talking to reporters here today, GNLF spokesperson Daya Dewan said that their party activists and supporters are disappointed to read such “baseless news reports.”
“Some dailies reported the matter by putting forth their own views and observations. The Press and journalists have been given a superior status in society, while they are considered pillars of democracy. But the reports that we read today have hurt GNLF supporters and misled people,” he said.
Mr Dewan said that Mr Ghisingh left Darjeeling due to “purely personal reasons,” and “as such, we did not report the matter to anyone.” Mr Dewan added that Mr Ghisingh went to the plains due to medical reasons, given his ill health.
“He stayed for last night in a hotel in Bagdogra, where he met a medical practitioner for his health related matters. He will be staying at the hotel for two more days before returning to Darjeeling,” he said.
The issue comes at a time when the erstwhile heavyweight in Darjeeling Hills, the GNLF, is regrouping itself and has started to revive itself politically in the Hills, with various programmes to press for its various demands. (STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE)