Indefinite bandh in Darjeeling till demand for statehood met: Morcha

The Sixth Schedule status, demanded by Ghising for Darjeeling, will bring 45 government departments directly under the administrative control of the Hill Council without the state government having any say over them. It will also ensure greater flow of funds directly from the Center to the Hill Council. However, the Morcha, set up by former close associate of Ghising Bimal Gurung, wants a separate state.

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, Subash Ghising remained confined to the PinTail village resort in the Darjeeling foothills.

Bands of Gorkha youths blocked all entry to Darjeeling around the village near Shukna. The blockade was lifted by late afternoon but by then Ghising had decided to stay put for some more time before attempting to move to his headquarters in Darjeeling.

However, informed sources said Ghising had toyed with the idea of flying to Darjeeling from Bagdogra in a Pawan Hans helicopter owned by the Sikkim government. But the proposal did not hold water as the aircraft was not ideal to fly into such terrain. Ghising reportedly told his cadres, “I am in no hurry to move out of here. My supporters should not become violent. This is the time for restraint. Better times are ahead for the Hills.”

In Kolkata, Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the situation was very volatile in the Hills and that the government has taken all precautions to contain violence. “The situation in the hills is quite abnormal,” Ray said.

General Secretary for the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Roshan Ghiri said students writing the Madhyamik will be shown consideration as cadres have already been instructed to ensure the examinations are free of trouble. Giri also said transport arrangements will be made so that candidates can reach exam centres. Stranded tourists will also be allowed to leave Darjeeling, he said.

Giri said the Hills will not accept a Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling, promised to be passed in the coming Budget session. “This will go against the democratic wishes of the Darjeeling people. We shall continue to till our demands are met — no Sixth Schedule and no Ghising,” he said.