Members of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha protesting for a separate state
With the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) holding a two-day 'janata curfew' in the Darjeeling hills from today, its President Bimal Gurung called in question the existence of the hill council, Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which was set up under a tripartite agreement.
"No more GTA, our aim is Gorkhaland. All parties to decide soon. I have resigned as chief executive of GTA," Mr Gurung wrote defiantly in a Facebook post going back on the decision to elect a new CEO on August 16.
"The state has given us a letter to choose a chief executive in three days otherwise the government will appoint their own Chief Executive," he said about the post of CEO from which he had resigned on July 30, which was followed by the indefinite shutdown from August 3.
"Do we want a Chief Executive of GTA to be from the state or someone from our own community?" he asked, adding, "The issue of GTA and its chief executive is only for a limited period as our final goal is Gorkhaland."
"The agitation will continue from the 19th," Mr Gurung said in a separate post on Facebook, without specifying what the agitation would be or whether the indefinite bandh which entered the 11th day, would be continued.
"The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will continue to exercise their freedom of expression, speech and will assemble peacefully to press for their demand for Gorkhaland," he said.
"We will let the people know our plans on the 16th," he said.