ETHNIC NEPALESE GORKHAS, STEP UP THEIR DEMAND FOR SEPARATE STATE. (TAPE NO: FM-5942)

NATURAL WITH HINDI AND ENGLISH SPEECH

DURATION: 2.01

SOURCE: ANI

TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NONE

India’s ethnic Gorkhas step up their demand for separate state.

An organisation spearheading campaign for separate state for ethnic Gorkhas in eastern India, demands tripartite talks at political level.

SHOWS:

SILIGURI, WEST BENGAL, INDIA (DECEMBER 28, 2009) (ANI-ACCESS ALL)

1. PROTESTORS OF GORKHA JANMUKTI MORCHA (GJM) OR GORKHA PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT, THE ORGANISATION DEMANDING SEPARATE STATEHOOD, SITTING ON ROAD

2. PROTESTORS HOLDING PLCARDS

3. TWO GJM SUPPORTERS LYING ON THE ROAD

4. A PROTESTOR SITTING WITH PLACARD

5. A WOMEN PROTESTOR

6. WOMEN PROTESTORS SITTING ON THE ROAD

7. PROTEST IN PROGRESS

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TILAKCHAND ROKA, CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE GORKH JANMUKTI MORCHA, THE ORGANISATION DEMANDING SEPARATE STATEHOOD, SAYING: “Now we want the talks specifically on Gorkhaland issues, and it should be done in political levels within 45 days, dates counting from the 21 of December, 2009.”

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AMRIT RANJAN, SECRETARY OF STUDENTS’ WING OF THE GORKH JANMUKTI MORCHA, THE ORGANISATION DEMANDING SEPARATE STATEHOOD, SAYING: “We began our strike on 27 (of December), and it will continue the same way until our demand of Gorkhaland is fulfilled.”

10. EXTERIOR OF RELAY HUNGET STRIKE CAMP OF GJM

11. A BANNER AT THE CAMP

12. WOMEN PROTESTORS IN THE CAMP

13. WOMEN PROTESTORS INSIDE THE CAMP

14. A WOMAN PROTESTOR

15. A PAPHLET STUCK IN THE CAMP

STORY: An organisation spearheading the campaign for separate state in eastern India, on Monday (December 28) demanded that the next round of tripartite talks should be held at the political level.

The decision was taken at the central committee meeting of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) or Gorkha People’s Liberation Movement.

GJM is demanding a new state of ‘Gorkhaland’ to be carved out from India’s eastern West Bengal province.

Earlier tripartite talks held in Darjeeling resulted inconclusive.

“Now we want the talks, specifically on Gorkhaland issues, and it should be done in political levels within 45 days, dates counting from the 21 of December, 2009,” said Tilakchand Roka, central committee member of the GJM in eastern Siliguri.

To press for their demand, the GJM from Sunday (December 27) began a road blockade in all the national highways passing through their demanded territory.

“We began our strike on 27 (of December), and it will continue the same way until our demand of Gorkhaland is fulfilled,” said Amrit Ranjan, secretary of students’ wing of the GJM, in Siliguri.

Apart from that the relay hunger strike that began on Saturday (December 26) is underway in different sub-divisions of the Darjeeling hills.

Women cell of the GJM started their hunger strike on Monday.

Gorkhas have been demanding a separate state, to be carved out West Bengal, to help them protect their culture and heritage.

The demand for Gokhaland gained momentum after New Delhi announced earlier this month that it would carve out the new state of Telangana out of the present state of Andhra Pradesh in south India.

At least 1,200 people died in the first Gorkhaland campaign in the 1980s, but protests ended a few years later after Gorkha leaders accepted limited autonomy.

The Gorkha population in West Bengal is around one million out of over 80 million.