Yuva Morcha piles statehood pressure

VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, July 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s youth wing today demanded the dissolution of the GTA on the second anniversary of the signing of the memorandum to bring the autonomous body into being.

Sources in the hills said the Yuva Morcha’s call was a pressure tactic with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s blessings as the hill party feels a decision on the Telangana statehood issue is imminent in Delhi.

“We demand dissolution of the GTA as we want Gorkhaland, which is the only means to secure the political identity of the Gorkhas (living in India). The Yuva Morcha has come forward for the cause of Gorkhaland and we will not step back now,” said Priyabardan Rai, general secretary of the Yuva Morcha, at a street-corner meeting at Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling.

Sources in the party said the Yuva Morcha was taking a stand according to the directive of party president Bimal Gurung.

“Bimal Gurung held a closed-door meeting at Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan on Tuesday when he had made it clear to the youths that the party must not sit idle when the positive developments are taking place with regard to creation of a separate state of Telangana,” said a Morcha leader on condition of anonymity.

Nothing definite on Telangana has emerged from Delhi yet. PTI quoted Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde saying today: “The (Congress) party is discussing the matter. I cannot disclose details. But a decision will be taken soon — either this way or that way.”

Asked about the Yuva Morcha’s meeting and the party’s stand, Morcha senior leader Roshan Giri said: “We want Gorkhaland to be formed when Telangana is created.” He refused to take questions.