Pro-Gorkhaland protest spreads fast from hills of Darjeeling to plains of WB

On Wednesday evening, supporters of Gorkhaland held a protest rally in Siliguri, West Bengal.

Darjeeling, July 20: All these days, the pro-Gorkhaland agitation was mostly restricted within Darjeeling and its neighbouring areas. However, it seems the movement is fast spreading from the hills to the plains of West Bengal.

On Wednesday evening, supporters of Gorkhaland--a demand for a separate state to be carved out of West Bengal for the Nepali-speaking people--staged a candle light march in Siliguri, which is situated in both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts and dominated mostly by the Bengali-speaking people.

During the Siliguri protest, the supporters of Gorkhaland raised their demand for a separate homeland and protested the death of one of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) workers, Ashish Tamang, due to alleged police firing a few days ago in Darjeeling.

"Siliguri, WB: Candle light march in support of Gorkhaland and against the death of GJM worker Ashish Tamang, allegedly due to police firing," reported ANI.

According to the supporters of Gorkhaland, a total of eight people have been killed in police firing in Darjeeling and its neighbouring areas since the agitation rocked the hills of Bengal on June 8.

However, the police refuted the charges and said only two people have been killed so far in the agitation and that too due to violence unleased by the protesters.

The indefinite strike called in the hills by the GJM, which is spearheading the ongoing protest, entered the 36th day on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a police vehicle was set on fire by unknown persons. Since the beginning of the Gorkhaland agitation this year, violence has become part and parcel of the protest, which has led to the death of around eight persons.

Several protesters have also sustained injuries during their clash with police personnel.

OneIndia News