About 15 members of the Jana Andolan Party (JAP) tonsured their heads
on Monday to protest against the alleged attempt of the state
government to suppress the demand for Gorkhaland by belittling the
sacrifices of those who lost their lives in the recent agitation in the
hills.
The JAP members had originally planned to hold the
"symbolic protest" programme at the Town Hall here, but were denied
permission by the administration and eventually got their hairs shaved
on the premises of the party office.
"This is a symbolic protest
against the state government's attempt to suppress the Gorkhaland
demand. This is also a protest against the government for seeking to
belittle the sacrifices of the martyrs who died during the agitation by
paying Rs 2 lakh to their kin," said Bhupen Rai, the secretary of Yuva
Ekai, the youth wing of JAP.
Acceding to the
demand of the Binay Tamang faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the
state government last week had announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each
to the next of kin of those who died in the unrest and Rs 50,000 each to
the injured persons.
The JAP has also been critical of the Tamang group for seeking
compensation, maintaining that the 12 persons who died had sacrificed
their lives for Gorkhaland, and not for monetary benefits.
Rai appealed to the Gorkha people throughout the country to lend their support to the protest programme.
The Telegraph
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