Gorkha torch rally in Siliguri to include more areas in interim council

SILIGURI - The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) staged a torch rally in Siliguri on Thursday demanding the inclusion of Terai and Doars regions in the Interim Council set up by the central government.

They wanted the government to fulfill their demands before the next round of tripartite talks scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 30.

Shouting slogans, they hit the streets with lighted torches in their hands to press their claim. They threatened to continue the agitation till their objective is fulfilled.

“The tripartite talk is going to be held on September 30. The central government has set up Interim Council to look into the matter. The Terai land should be included in the Interim Council and we staged the torch rally to fulfill our demand,” said Arjun Chettri, a leader of GJM.

The territorial issue remained in focus since the government disagreed to include the neighbouring areas of Terai and Doars.

The GJM had agreed during the fifth round of tripartite talks in New Delhi to the constitution of Interim Council by next year prior to the creation of a separate state.

The Gorkha population in West Bengal is around a million out of the state”s 80 million people. (ANI)