Feb. 7: Supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today started a fast-unto-death, demanding that members of the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, which is scrutinising the bill conferring Sixth Schedule status on the hills, visit Darjeeling. [Inset: The fasting supporters in front of the subdivisional office in Kalimpong. (C.F. Lepcha)]
The hunger strike, said Binay Tamang, the press and publicity secretary of the Morcha, would continue till an announcement was made on the committee’s visit. “
In Darjeeling, 21 people are on fast in front of the district magistrate’s office. Nine of them are women. “The team is being headed by Urmila Rumba, president of the Nari Morcha,” said Tamang.
The committee was scheduled to visit Darjeeling yesterday. Opposition parties alleged that the Bengal government had cited law and order problem to cancel the tour. “This (the cancellation of the visit) is a conspiracy by Subash Ghisingh and the state government against the people of the hills and we will not tolerate this,” said Tamang.
