Saturday, Sep 16, 2023 06:15 [IST]

Last Update: Saturday, Sep 16, 2023 00:37 [IST]

GJM youth front to stage Dharna in Delhi, calls for support from political parties for gorkhaland demand

DARJEELING,: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha youth front, which is staging a two-day dharna in Delhi on September 20 and 21 to demand Gorkhaland, has appealed all political parties and social organizations to participate in the dharna.

“We are holding programmes targeting the winter session of the Parliament and want our issue to be featured in it,” said Noman Rai, general secretary of the youth front.

When asked why they did not target the special parliamentary session to start take place from September 17 to 21 he said, “Our program was fixed much earlier and that special parliamentary session was announced all of a sudden. Moreover, we did not expect the Gorkha issue to be discussed during this special session.”

Rai added, “Due to other Statehood demands such as those from Kanatapur and Greater Coochbehar, the Centre must be facing a problem but if Gorkhaland is not granted by 2024, we plan to launch a united programme with Adivasis, Rajbanshis and other minority groups in North Bengal.” 

The GJM youth front general secretary expressed scepticism about the BJP's intentions, suggesting that the party might be using their demands as a means to garner votes. He also expressed concerns about the Gorkhaland issue being overshadowed by other development and administrative concerns. They want political parties to prioritize their main demand for Gorkhaland.

They appealed political parties to come forward and support the Gorkhaland demand, emphasizing that they do not want any single party to take credit for it.

While in Delhi, the youth front plans to meet Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and other senior BJP leaders to discuss their demands. Morcha president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri are also expected to participate in the dharna.  

Sikkim at a Glance

  • Area: 7096 Sq Kms
  • Capital: Gangtok
  • Altitude: 5,840 ft
  • Population: 6.10 Lakhs
  • Topography: Hilly terrain elevation from 600 to over 28,509 ft above sea level
  • Climate:
  • Summer: Min- 13°C - Max 21°C
  • Winter: Min- 0.48°C - Max 13°C
  • Rainfall: 325 cms per annum
  • Language Spoken: Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Tibetan, English, Hindi