GRNM to start agitation for Gorkhaland from December

The Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha (GRNM) will be staging a road rally to press for their demand of Gorkhaland next month onwards, decalred the GRNM President, Dawa Pakhrin in a press meet held at Kalimpong today. Pakhrin, who claims to work for the development of the Darjeeling district and its blocks since the formation of GRNM, said that a separate state is impossible if only half of the Darjeeling district is included. Thus, the GRNM’s December agitation aims to create a platform to increase the number of blocks, sub divisions and districts, he added. Though Siliguri is a part of the Darjeeling district, some individuals and parties have been scheming to separate it, he alleged.Further, he informed that for a separate state to be formed there should be atleast 4 districts, 12 sub divisions and 42 blocks. The GRNM had already sent a memorandum to the state’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee regarding the same, but no steps has been taken as such, complained Pakhrin, and added that the government’s least interest in the matter has compelled the party to step forward. The GRNM President also said that Banerjee by letting the formation of a new district in the hills, she needs to prove that she is the CM of all the people of West Bengal rather being only of the Bengali community. “There are new districts being formed in other parts of the state, why cannot a new district be formed in the hills”, he questioned.The date for the December agitation will be declared after the committee meeting. The forthcoming agitation will include road rally, postering, etc.Lastly, Pakhrin also welcomed the desire of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Executive Chief, Bimal Gurung of dissolving GTA, and said that there is no alternative to Gorkhaland. It may be mentioned here that Gurung during a function at Darjeeling yesterday had expressed of subsiding GTA for the sake of Gorkhaland.

By Mukesh Sharma