Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has deferred its pre-announced agitation programs for the time being.

R Giri file photo

KURSEONG 8 MARCH: Finally, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) has deferred its pre-announced agitation programs for the time being. A team of the GJMM led by its chief, Bimal Gurung, who were in their Delhi tour for the past few days, returned back to Darjeeling hills today and held its Central Committee meeting as soon as they landed here in Kurseong at a hotel. Later after their meeting that ran for almost three hours the GJMM Secretary Mr. Roashan Giri told reporters that in today’s meeting we discussed about our Delhi visit as well our Gorkhaland agitation. 

As per the request made to us by the President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Union Home Minsiter Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde and the Finance Minister Mr. Chidambaram to withdraw our Gorkhaland agitation we have decided to to bring some changes in our plans for agitation that we had announced earlier. 

Keeping in mind the changes that we have made in our agitation plans we have deferred the Government Offices strike that was to start from 9 to 27 March and instead all Government Employees from either the Central, State or from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) will shout slogans in favour of Gorkhaland everyday from 12 to 1 PM inside their office premises starting tomorrow till 9 April.

 Mr Giri further said that the announced general strikes from 14-15 and 21-22 March too has been deferred and in its place another form of protest consisting of silent rallies throughout Darjeeling Hills will be staged on those same dates when the strikes were supposed to be called.

 He also informed that the Torch rallies that had been going on in the entire hills will now be organized thrice weekly which is on Monday, Thursday and Sunday. The Delhi dharna that had been going on since the last one and a half months in favour of Gorkhaland at Jantar Mantar comprised of MLAs and the GJMM’s different wings but this time we will send members from our student wings to take over the dharna. 

It was learnt that the Union Minister Deepa Das Munshi had suggested that a tripartite meeting be held to solve the Darjeeling impasse. In this connection when reporters asked Mr. Giri was affirmative and said that it is the sole prerogative of the Central Government and if they decide to hold such a meeting we will participate. 

Notably for the past few weeks GJMM leaders from its core group had been meeting several Leaders and Ministers to press for their demand of Gorkhaland. After their political sojourn to Delhi they have returned back bringing in some changes in their profile of their agitation but the movement for statehood is still on.