GJM-affiliated outfits' rally against NRC, memorandum submitted

Darjeeling: Twenty-three frontal organisations of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binay faction) took out a protest rally in Darjeeling town. They then handed over a memorandum to the District Magistrate voicing objection against the proposed arbitrary implementation of NRC by the Union government.

They have further demanded that Gorkhas residing throughout the country be declared protected, indigenous, and original inhabitants for the purpose of NRC.

The rally commenced from the Darjeeling Railway station on Thursday and culminated at the District Collectorate in Darjeeling. The representatives then submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate.

"The way in which NRC has been implemented in Assam is outrageous. More than one lakh sixty thousand Gorkhas have been excluded from the list. We demand that the Gorkhas who have been excluded be declared original inhabitants and be included in Protected List. We are not against NRC but we are against the process in which it was implemented," saidAnil Sharma, President, Sangyukta Mdhyamik Sikshak Sangathan affiliated to the GJM.

Sharma further stated that if NRC has to be implemented in Bengal or anywhere else in India then before that Gorkhas have to be declared original inhabitants before that.

"Gorkhas have sacrificed a lot for this country and continue to make the supreme sacrifice in the borders. The Gorkhas have to be declared original inhabitants," demanded Sharma.

Meanwhile, a 14-member team of the GJM led by President Binoy Tamang departed for Assam on Thursday. In Assam they will be meeting Gorkha families, specially the ones left out of the NRC.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and MLA Neeraj Zimba are also camping in Assam. They met Sarbananda Sonwal, the Chief Minister of Assam over Gorkhas being left out of the NRC.

In a release MP Bista stated: "The NRC issue is very complex and complicated, only those who are facing an uncertain future due to their names being left out of the NRC Roll know the real extent of their sufferings."

"The MP who had called the issue of left out Gorkhas in Assam NRC list as a rumor finally admitted the problem and acknowledged its gravity. I would like to warn the people of Darjeeling against BJP's double standards. They are also lying on the Gorkhaland issue," said GJM President Binay Tamang's on Bista's sudden visit to Assam.