Bimal Gurung - Separation from Bengal is my ultimate goal

Amid indefinite strike in Gorkhaland,the GJM on Wednesday said a final decision on the agitation would be adopted on Friday, while toughing it’s stand on forming a separate State of Gorkhaland and cited it as its ‘ ultimate goal’.

“Gorkhaland and Bimal Gurung is synonymous. The day I leave Gorkhaland it would mean my life would end. Separation from Bengal is my ultimate goal,” Gurung wrote in a Facebook post shortly after a central committee meeting of the GJM.

He had, however, said on Tuesday “I will not demand Gorkhaland. We will demand something else.”

GJM Publicity Secretary, Harka Bahadur Chetri told reporters after the meeting that opinion in writing on four points was sought from 147 organisations in the hills after which the future course of action would be decided on August 30.

The four points on which opinion was sought was whether to continue the indefinite shut down in the hills, whether schools and colleges and Government offices be allowed to reopen and regarding the arrest of GJM leaders and supporters, which has crossed the 800 mark.

Chetri, who is a GJM MLA, said it would also be decided whether, he and the other two party legislators TK Dewan and Rohit Sharma, would resign from the State Assembly.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, no further arrest was reported.

Chetri said that his party would not talk to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee,who has announced that she would visit Darjeeling early next month, or with the State Government.

Gurung, in another post on the social media site welcomed the passage of the Food Security Bill in Parliament, but alleged that it was ‘unfair’ for the State Government to ‘seal the only PDS godown in Darjeeling’.

“India is a country where over 40% of children are malnourished, a law guaranteeing food at a subsidized rate to millions of people is certainly well-intentioned,” Gurung said.

“In this same context it is unfair by the State Government to seal the only PDS godown in Darjeeling and deprive the poor people of the democratic right to receive subsidized ration from the Government,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, with normal life remained paralysed, school children held rallies and took out processions on the second day of their five-day programme, despite the Calcutta High Court order that students should not be allowed to participate in political rallies.

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