NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Rediff Shopping

Shop & gift from thousands of products!   Books     Music       Apparel   Jewellery   Flowers   More..      Safe Shopping

GNLF threatens to renew demand for Gorkhaland

Rifat Jawaid in Calcutta

Darjeeling's Gorkha National Liberation Front has warned of renewing its demand for separation from West Bengal.

GNLF leader in the West Bengal assembly Santa Chhetri, who met state chief secretary Manish Gupta at the Writers' Building on Friday afternoon, said GNLF chief Subhash Ghishing had asked her to convey his message to the state government.

"Our demand for a separate Gorkhaland is very old. We raised this demand much before there were demands for separate statehood for Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal. Nowhere have people made so many sacrifices as we, in support of demands for a separate Gorkhaland. Over 1200 Gorkhas died in the fight. The government has always overlooked our people's interests and never shown sympathy to our cause," Chhetri said.

Chhetri said Parliament's approval for Jharkhand is what has made Ghishing optmistic about a separate Gorkhaland.

However, WB deputy chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya turned down the demand raised by Chhetri. Bhattacharya said there was no need for a separate Gorkhaland since it enjoys many 'privileges'.

"Our government's stand is clear. We have always opposed the separation of Darjeeling from West Bengal. We feel that all of us should be together. There is the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, a responsible body to safeguard the interests of Gorkhas. All we can do now is to expand its powers and make it more effective, rather than demand for a separate state," Bhattacharya added.

The GNLF has three legislators in the state assembly.

Political analysts fear that Ghising's pledge to renew the fight for Gorkhaland is unlikely to die down. The tough-talk by GNLF leaders may only help the demand gain fresh momentum in the hilly region of West Bengal.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report