Gangtok, 17 December: To lend further force to their demand of Sikkim-Darjeeling unification,
the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress (GRC), which has remained vocal on the
matter for a long time, has decided to field its president, Nima Lama as
a candidate from the Darjeeling constituency for the upcoming
Lok Sabha election. The party would also field a candidate from the
solitary constituency from Sikkim. The name of the candidate would be
announced later, the party leaders said.
“Nima Lama’s name was cleared by the five-member panel of the party. We will soon announce the name for Sikkim,” said GRC chief coordinator, Subodh Pakhrin here while talking to the media.
The GRC has been advocating for Darjeeling to merge with Sikkim on the strength of the hilly terrain under Bengal originally being part of Sikkim, then under the rule of the Chogyal dispensation. “We want to contest the elections to take our voice to Delhi. We demand Darjeeling’s unification with Sikkim in the interest of national security,” Mr Lama said.
The GRC leaders keep approaching Central leaders of several parties to convince them of the imperative of the merger to end the longstanding stalemate and unrest in the Darjeeling Hills. “This is the only viable solution and the sooner the Centre acts on it the better,” added Mr Lama.
Citing historical records of Darjeeling being a part of the Sikkimese territory that was ceded to British East India Company on lease by the then Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835, he said the facts were corroborated by the release issued by the state government in 1980s.
“Both Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills will be benefited by the merger,” said GRC general secretary, Mr Amar Lucksom, adding that their campaign both in Sikkim and in Darjeeling Hills would remain exclusively focused on the issue of merger.(SNS)
“Nima Lama’s name was cleared by the five-member panel of the party. We will soon announce the name for Sikkim,” said GRC chief coordinator, Subodh Pakhrin here while talking to the media.
The GRC has been advocating for Darjeeling to merge with Sikkim on the strength of the hilly terrain under Bengal originally being part of Sikkim, then under the rule of the Chogyal dispensation. “We want to contest the elections to take our voice to Delhi. We demand Darjeeling’s unification with Sikkim in the interest of national security,” Mr Lama said.
The GRC leaders keep approaching Central leaders of several parties to convince them of the imperative of the merger to end the longstanding stalemate and unrest in the Darjeeling Hills. “This is the only viable solution and the sooner the Centre acts on it the better,” added Mr Lama.
Citing historical records of Darjeeling being a part of the Sikkimese territory that was ceded to British East India Company on lease by the then Chogyal of Sikkim in 1835, he said the facts were corroborated by the release issued by the state government in 1980s.
“Both Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills will be benefited by the merger,” said GRC general secretary, Mr Amar Lucksom, adding that their campaign both in Sikkim and in Darjeeling Hills would remain exclusively focused on the issue of merger.(SNS)