Two groups hold parallel campaigns in Darjeeling, push for Gorkhaland and Sixth Schedule

DARJEELING,: With the permanent political solution (PPS) for the Darjeeling Hills promised by the BJP yet to be defined, two organisations on Friday carried out separate poster campaigns in the town, reiterating contrasting political demands.

While the Gorkhaland Activist Samuha (GAS) advocated for a separate State of Gorkhaland, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (Subashwadi) renewed its demand for inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The GAS is an apolitical body formed specifically to demand Statehood, whereas the GNLF (S) was established last year to advance the 6th Schedule issue.

The GAS women’s wing organised a poster campaign and public meeting at Chowk Bazaar, asserting that Statehood remained the only acceptable permanent solution for the region.

“We want to put across the message to the government that a permanent solution for this area is only Gorkhaland. The monsoon session is about to start and we want the government to bring a Bill for Gorkhaland in Parliament during the upcoming monsoon session,” said GAS member Sheetal Subba, while maintaining that the people had supported the BJP for this demand.

She also referred to speculation over the scrapping of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), saying any interim arrangement should be administrative in nature until Statehood is achieved.

“If the government needs to run the GTA temporarily before a new body is brought, let them do so administratively, but they must deliver Gorkhaland as the final PPS,” she added.

Meanwhile, the GNLF (Subashwadi) carried out a parallel poster campaign near Motor Stand, highlighting its demand for implementation of the Sixth Schedule in the region to protect land, language, culture and traditional industries such as tea and cinchona.

“We started this campaign in Kalimpong earlier and have now extended it to Darjeeling,” said GNLF (S) leader Bhuwan Chettri.

He said the demand was long pending and should be implemented without further delay.

Referring to the Memorandum of Settlement signed in 2005 between the GNLF, State and Centre, Chettri said political opposition at the time had stalled its implementation.

He added that areas under the Sixth Schedule in the Northeast were functioning smoothly and expressed confidence that it could also serve as a stepping stone for the larger demand for Gorkhaland.

The 2005 agreement had proposed Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling hills, but the Bill was not passed in Parliament amid opposition from several quarters over concerns of potential social divisions.