GRC bats for referendum on Sikkim-Darjeeling merger

EOI

KURSEONG : Gorkha Rastriya Congress general secretary Subodh Pakhrin today said his party is contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha election to seek a referendum for merging Darjeeling and Sikkim and to garner wide support for the cause. He further said the GRC does not seek to grab an MP seat and enjoy the privileges, and its sole objective is of a Darjeeling-Sikkim merger. Darjeeling is a lost territory of Sikkim and it was never a part of Bengal. The land of Darjeeling must be returned to its rightful owner, added Pakhrin. According to the GRC leader, his party’s demand has been considered positively by national level leaders as it seeks unification and not separation. 

He said the leaders have supported the GRC’s demand, but at the same time they have asked for a mandate from the people of the Darjeeling hills on the issue making public support for the issue vital. Pakhrin admitted that the GRC does not enjoy huge public support, but insisted its issue has depth, which is difficult to cast aside. “Truth is always a bitter pill to swallow, but truth has always triumphed in the end. Our support base is increasing, hence we are fighting the election to seek public mandate and highlight the issue of the Sikkim-Darjeeling merger,” he remarked. The GRC leader also informed the party has already met leaders from Sikkim and Darjeeling a number of times on the issue. Besides, the GRC has also hobnobbed on a regular basis with intellectuals and supporters of the idea. The GRC has announced party president Nima Lama as its candidate from Darjeeling constituency for the Lok Sabha election.