Subash Ghising’s memorial to be unveiled on Jan 29
Darjeeling: Come January 29, a Subash Ghising memorial will be unveiled at the Manjushree Park in Mirik. Late Subash Ghising is one of the most charismatic Gorkha leaders, synonymous with the Gorkhaland agitation of the 1980s. January 29 will also mark the 10th death anniversary of the Gorkha leader.
“We had formed a non-political memorial construction committee named Gorkha Pita Subash Ghising Samadhi Nirman Committee to take forward our desire to construct a memorial and to rename the Manjushree Park. With this proposal we had met Anit Thapa, GTA Chief,” stated Y Lama, Convenor of the committee while talking to Millennium Post.
On December 3, 2024, members of the committee had met the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Anit Thapa with the proposal of renaming the Manjushree Park as “Subash Ghising Smriti Park” and to come up with a memorial honouring the late leader and his wife. Thapa had given a nod stating that as it is an administrative matter, the process would take time and continue while the memorial is being constructed.
“Subash Ghising was an icon of the Gorkha community. If we don’t preserve our own icons, who will? The construction of the memorial is an administrative matter and I have assured them that the memorial will be built,” Anit Thapa had then stated.
“The GNLF party had no funds. Subash Ghising’s followers from all over, came forward with contributions in cash and kind for the memorial. With their contribution finally the memorial is complete.
There is no statue. Behind the memorial is a 10 feet X 6 feet wall with a plaque on which his biography is inscribed,” stated Lama. On the left side of Subash Ghising’s memorial is a memorial dedicated to his wife Dhan Kumari Ghising.
“On January 29, the memorial will be unveiled. Following this the park will be thrown open for the public. We are expecting a huge turnout from far and wide to pay their respects to the iconic leader” added Lama.
Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) Chief Subash Ghising had passed away on January 29, 2015 at the age of 79, at a hospital in New Delhi after prolonged illness. He had spearheaded a violent agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland in the 1980s. Later he had run the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council as the Chairman and Administrator till 2008, when his trusted lieutenant Bimal Gurung led a political coup and ousted him and the GNLF from the Hills. He then lived in exile till 2011 when he returned to the Hills. Subash Ghising was born on June 22, 1936 at Manju Tea Estate in Mirik.
