Gorkha Janamukti Morcha activists start hunger strike

Siliguri, Feb 7 (UNI) Altogether 63 activists of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) today began an indefinite hunger strike in three hill sub-divisions demanding scraping of the 6th Schedule status for Darjeeling.

The agitators, sat in batches of 21 each at Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalinpong, displayed placards demanding no further extension to Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council's caretaker Chairman Subash Ghising, whose present term expired on March 23.

The activists, led by GJM central committee member Urmila Zima, also demanded a visit of Parliament Standing Committee Chairperson Sushma Swaraj and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to visit the hill as people did not want the 6th Schedule status.

The GJM, recently founded by Bimal Gurung, a former close aid of Subash Ghising, is demanding a separate Gorkhaland state.

Meanwhile, Mr Ghising left here yesterday for New Delhi for talks with Ms Swaraj. Mr Bhattachajee also in New Delhi now. State Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Dev is expected to leave for Delhi for a tri-partite talks on Darjeeling's new status.

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