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Ghising in Siliguri, another attempt to reach Darjeeling

Special Correspondent

Rival GJM men check vehicles to prevent his return

— Photo: PTI

GNLF chief and Chairman of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, Subhas Ghising, at a government guest house after his arrival from New Delhi, in Siliguri on Thursday.

KOLKATA: Subhas Ghising, who has said he will resign as administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, arrived in Siliguri from New Delhi on Thursday, in a second attempt in less than three weeks to return to the Darjeeling hills.

Earlier, Mr. Ghising stayed back in Siliguri for a few days since February 18, when he gave up plans to proceed to the hill town in view of road blocks put up by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists.

He later flew down here and had a second meeting within a week with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, where his decision to resign was presumably taken.

On Thursday, GJM supporters started checking Darjeeling-bound vehicles to stop Mr. Ghising. He has been provided elaborate security.

The GJM leadership has said the “people of the hills” will prevent his return.

Mr. Ghising, who is also the chief of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), is equally determined to return to Darjeeling, where he will put in his papers as DGHC administrator, his associates have said.

In a surprise move when he was in New Delhi on Wednesday, the GNLF chief reverted to his demand for creation of a separate Gorkhaland state carved out of the Darjeeling hills and certain contiguous areas.

Over the past few months the GJM has been raising the same demand even as Mr. Ghising was trying to push through two amendment Bills in Parliament, which seek Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills. Now he is advising the government against grant of that status to the region.

Calls on Sonia

Bimal Gurung, GJM president, who is in New Delhi to lobby his party’s demand for Gorkhaland, called on Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

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