Former GNLF members raise demand for Gorkhaland

Former Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) party members — now being referred to as “GNLF rebels” — Pranay Rai, MLA from Darjeeling constituency and Gaulan Lepcha, MLA from Kalimpong constituency, raised the demand for statehood for the hills. They walked out of the House holding placards that stated “No Budget, We Want Gorkhaland”.

Santa Chettri, GNLF MLA from Karseong, also supported the demand for statehood.

Both Rai and Lepcha parted ways with the Subash Ghisingh-led GNLF last month and on Monday lent their unconditional support to the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha being led by Bimal Gurung.

“Our membership in the state Assembly has been retained. What the people (of the hills) wish, is important,” Rai told The Indian Express while refusing to comment if there was any possibility of the Morcha and GNLF working in sync instead of continuing with their factional rivalry, as now both share the same agenda — the demand for Gorkhaland.

In a memorandum being sent to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and also to leaders of the state’s leading political parties, the two leaders have claimed the support of various factions over the statehood demand: “All the important political parties functioning in the region are unanimous that the Nepali speaking region in question should be administratively separated from West Bengal. We are of the opinion that nothing short of full fledged statehood for the Darjeeling and Dooars region will meet the aspirations of the Hill people, and no other administrative schemes, such as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, will ultimately be found to be workable.”