Protests for separate Gorkhaland continue in Darjeeling
Panchonoi (West Bengal):Activists of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJMM), who are spearheading the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state, created communication bottlenecks in the Darjeeling region on Friday. At Panchonoi, which is located between Siliguri
in the foothills and Darjeeling , GJMM activists blocked the national highway
and also movement of the toy train. "The local people are protesting for their
demand and in this our train has been stopped. So we are facing some problem and
a worried lot. I have booked a hotel and if the money is refunded then it will
be helpful," noted Prakash Seth a passenger. Activists said they would continue
their protests till the Central Government concedes their demand for a political
dialogue on the Gorkhaland issue. "We are staging this protest for our demand,
we blocked the national highway. This protest will continue till we get a confirmation
from the central government about holding the talks at political level," said
Hemant Gautam, a GJMM leader, Panchonoi. The Gorkhas have been demanding a separate
state, to be carved out of West Bengal , to help them preserve their culture and
heritage. West Bengal 's Gorkha population is estimated to be around a million.
