Siliguri: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha,
fighting for a separate state in the Darjeeling hills, has
warned that it will unilaterally form `Gorkhaland` if the next
round of tripartite talks scheduled in December failed to
deliver "justice".
GJM chief Bimal Gurung told a central convention of the
`Yuba Morcha`, the youth wing, in Darjeeling on Monday that
the fourth round of tripartite talks between the Centre, the
GJM and the West Bengal government to be held on December 21
were "vital" for the Gorkhas and Gorkhaland.
"In no case Gorkhas will continue to live under West
Bengal government," he said.
Gurung said that the GJM would also raise a special force
of 500 youth to be named after `Durga Malla`, a Gorkha freedom
fighter who was hanged during the British rule in 1944.
The GJM chief said that 50 youth each from Siliguri,
Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and Dooars would make
up the Durga Malla force and would be imparted guerrilla
warfare training.
The force would also be provided with arms training, but
`with government permission`, he said.
A GJM leader said that a volunteer force raised by the
people of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir to help protect India
during Indo-Pak war might have inspired Gurung to think of a
similar force.
Bureau Report