Gorkha activists launch their own security force

Darjeeling, Apr 15 : The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to launch its own security force to guard their leader during agitations.

"The organisation has decided to make a parallel security force as it lacks confidence in the police of the Left Front government which has been trying to suppress our democratic form of protest," said Gorkhaland Chief Bimal Gurung.

"The new force to be launched within the next six weeks, would not only get training to take up "social work", but would also be styled as the Gorkhaland Police", he added.

Gurung also clarified that the new force would not have any confrontation with the Left Front Government's police.

"Besides guarding the processions of the GJM, the main job of the force would be crowd and traffic control during party meetings and rallies," he said.

During the Gorkhaland agitation in the 1980s, the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) led by Subhas Ghising, too had raised its own force -- the Gorkha Volunteer Cell-to confront the CRPF in the hills.

When asked whether the GJM "police" would be armed with khukris (Nepali knife), Gurung replied: "Khukri is our community's identity.

ANI