Darjeeling stir: 30member team to spearhead movement

A 30-member Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee will henceforth spearhead the movement for a separate state, it was decided in a meeting of 14 parties and organisations including BJP in Kalimpong on Thursday.

The committee was formed with two representatives each from the 13 parties and organisations that attended the meeting. There will be two representatives from the Dooars and Terai, which are in the foothills and cover vast areas of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts, where Nepalis a minority.

The first meeting of the committee will be held on July 6.

“We decided not to settle for anything less than a separate state. Kalyan Dewan, who is a vice president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), will be the convener of the committee. He will be assisted by DK Pradhan, who is the chairman of Darjeeling municipality,” said Tamang.