Morcha starts slush clean-up

The “brown envelope”, which has been the talk of the hills for the past week, has finally started reaching Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders asking them to refrain from in any party activity.
The move, apparently aimed to cleanse the party of corruption, could also be one of the biggest tests for the Morcha. The outfit [...]

Morcha to close block offices in hills

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today announced that it would lock all the block development offices across the hills from November 7 even as the interlocutor for the talks involving the Centre, the state government and the party arrived here.
“However, we have decided to exempt those sections which deal with registration and issuing of birth and [...]

GJM expresses satisfaction

The Hindu
KOLKATA: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership has expressed “satisfaction” with the outcome of the third round of tripartite talks held in New Delhi on Tuesday to end the political stalemate in the Darjeeling hills arising from the GJM demand for the creation of a Gorkhaland state.
“In the right direction”
“The results of the talks are [...]

Darjeeling to have new administrative framework

The Times Of India
NEW DELHI: The Darjeeling Hill areas will soon have a new administrative set-up as the Centre on Tuesday decided to abolish the Darjeeling Gorkha
Hill Council (DGHC) — the body which has been involved in the affairs of the region for the last two decades.
Besides, the Centre also agreed to drop the [...]

Anti-Gorkhaland groups detain vehicles carrying replenishments

SILIGURI, 20 JULY: The anti-Gorkhaland Siliguri-based pressure group “Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee” and another radical outfit, the “Aamra Bangli”, detained vehicles purportedly carrying replenishments to the Darjeeling hills at several important intersections of the town today, protesting against the GJMM sponsored indefinite shutdown in the Hills. The police later made way for the [...]

Pranab rules out Gorkhaland demand

Statesman News Service
RAIGANJ, 19 JULY: The Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee (in picture) categorically ruled out any possibility of a formation of a separate Gorkhaland state comprising three sub-divisions in the Darjeeling hills. “The GJMM leadership should see reason and stay focused on evolving a achievable solution to the prolonged tangle instead of harping [...]

Dangerous politics

Shikha Mukerjee DNA

In line with its commitment to chopping up the larger Indian states into bite-size pieces for reasons that range from respect for people with separate identities and recognition of their rights to administrative convenience, the BJP has nominated former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh to contest the Darjeeling seat in West Bengal.

By doing [...]

Rocky road to Darjeeling

The tip of Mt Kanchenjunga turns crimson as the last rays of the sun touch upon the three blade-shaped spurs of Tindharia, around which the legend

of labour leader Sagina Mahato is woven. “It’s our final battle. Vote for Jaswant Singh,” a GJM activist campaigns for a candidate who does not belong to his party at [...]

Yechury campaign in Darjeeling today

Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, April 20: CPI-M politburo member Mr Sitaram Yechury will address a poll rally at Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling tomorrow morning in support of the party candidate Mr Jibesh Sarkar.
This is will be the first public rally in the Hills by any major CPI-M leader since the demand for Gorkhaland resurfaced in Darjeeling [...]

Gorkha Janamukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, who has been aggressively pushing for a separate state for the Gorkhas

Debashis Bhattacharyya
A weak sun peeps out of a veil of clouds. casting a soft glow on the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s office in the working class neighbourhood of Patlabas in Darjeeling. This morning the party office seems deserted except for a handful of workmen busy roofing the front yard with clear plastic sheets.
 
Suddenly, one of the office [...]