In keeping with his pledge to make the statehood movement Delhi-centric, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung today met yoga guru Baba Ramdev in Haridwar, who is perceived as being close to NDA leaders, to lobby for the long-standing demand of the Darjeeling hills.
Gurung is being accompanied by party general secretary Roshan Giri, assistant general secretary Binay Tamang and central committee leader PT Ola. The team was specially invited to Haridwar to attend the birthday celebrations of Bal Krishna, a disciple known to be very close to the yoga guru.
“Our party president was invited for the programme and we used the occasion to seek an audience with Baba Ramdev to apprise him about our century-old demand for a separate state. Besides, he has always spoken of Gorkhaland in positive terms in his speeches over the years,” said Giri, over phone from Delhi.
The decision to meet the yoga guru also stems from the fact that in September 2013, Ramdev had publicly gone on record in support of Gorkhaland, a demand that the GJM is spearheading since its inception in 2007.
According to the GJM general secretary, Gurung was expected to give a speech in Haridwar, but had to rush back to Delhi halfway through the programme for a meeting with senior NDA ministers.
GJM assistant general secretary Tamang, on the other hand, maintained that this time’s Delhi visit (beginning August 1) is part of the new programme to concentrate in the national capital to lobby for a separate state in the Telangana model. “We must remember Telangana became a reality after years of struggle and lobbying at the Centre. We believe we too should also emulate their model. That is why we are visiting places and states that have advocate the creation of smaller states as also to create a constructive lobby,” he said.
After the 40 days agitation for a separate state during the August-September period last year, the GJM had pledged it would end the “bandh culture” in the hills.
Providing relief to traders and the working class of the hills, the GJM president has assured all statehood-related agitations would be concentrated in Delhi henceforth as an outcome would be more likely in the capital.
According to Tamang, the GJM president will be staying in Delhi for a couple more days and seek an audience with senior NDA leaders.
“We will be here in Delhi for some days. During this period we will try and meet senior leaders of the BJP and also other ministers,” the GJM assistant general secretary said.
Source: EOI
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| Bimal Gurung met yoga guru Baba Ramdev in Haridwar |
“Our party president was invited for the programme and we used the occasion to seek an audience with Baba Ramdev to apprise him about our century-old demand for a separate state. Besides, he has always spoken of Gorkhaland in positive terms in his speeches over the years,” said Giri, over phone from Delhi.
The decision to meet the yoga guru also stems from the fact that in September 2013, Ramdev had publicly gone on record in support of Gorkhaland, a demand that the GJM is spearheading since its inception in 2007.
According to the GJM general secretary, Gurung was expected to give a speech in Haridwar, but had to rush back to Delhi halfway through the programme for a meeting with senior NDA ministers.
GJM assistant general secretary Tamang, on the other hand, maintained that this time’s Delhi visit (beginning August 1) is part of the new programme to concentrate in the national capital to lobby for a separate state in the Telangana model. “We must remember Telangana became a reality after years of struggle and lobbying at the Centre. We believe we too should also emulate their model. That is why we are visiting places and states that have advocate the creation of smaller states as also to create a constructive lobby,” he said.
After the 40 days agitation for a separate state during the August-September period last year, the GJM had pledged it would end the “bandh culture” in the hills.
Providing relief to traders and the working class of the hills, the GJM president has assured all statehood-related agitations would be concentrated in Delhi henceforth as an outcome would be more likely in the capital.
According to Tamang, the GJM president will be staying in Delhi for a couple more days and seek an audience with senior NDA leaders.
“We will be here in Delhi for some days. During this period we will try and meet senior leaders of the BJP and also other ministers,” the GJM assistant general secretary said.
Source: EOI
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