Kolkata: Hundreds of Gorkha children, few armed with their traditional dagger 'Khukri', along with elders participated in a rally in Darjeeling on Wednesday for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
In the morning, these children with ‘We Want Gorkhaland’ written on their body gathered at Mall Road and raised slogans for a separate state. They criticised state government’s forcible imposition of Bangla language on Gorkha children.
“We are not going to learn Bangla language and we want a new home as Gorkhaland,” the children were heard raising slogans.
Condemning the incident, Trinamool Congress leader Gautam Deb said, “It is a shame for the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders to engage children in such rallies. At this tender age, these GJM leaders are showing them the path of violence. This is inhuman and we condemn it.”
He said, “Nothing can be achieved through violence. Solution to any problem can only be achieved through dialogue. I would like to urge the people in the Hills to maintain peace”.
The GJM leaders also gathered in front of the Darjeeling police station and protested against the detention of two of their leaders on their way to Patlebas.
In some areas, GJM leaders set government offices on fire and damaged some crucial documents ahead of the scheduled special audit tomorrow.
Last night also incidents of violence were reported around the hills as activists are alleged to have set fire to two panchayat offices at Rajbari and in Dhobitala. They also burnt documents of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) agreement at some 45 places.
GJM leaders have vowed to intensify their movement for Gorkhaland through hunger strike and self-immolation unless their demand for a separate state is fulfilled.
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