Kalimpong, May 19: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha candidate Sarita Rai defeated Harka Bahadur Chhetri in Kalimpong today by over 11,000 votes, leading to a clean sweep by the Darjeeling hills’ most powerful party. But the loss of Chhetri, the sitting MLA of Kalimpong who had broken from the Morcha and floated the Jana Andolan Party (JAP), […]

Darjeeling, 17 May 2016: The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, an apolitical organisation of the Gorkha community, today lamented without taking names that lack of political acumen and a proper blueprint and road-map were the reasons for the failure in achieving a Gorkhaland state. Ever since its formation, the Parisangh has chose to focus on addressing social […]

Writes Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, May 20: In a span of five years, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s winning margin has come down by more than 50 per cent but the party says its not unduly worried. “Whether we win by one vote or by one lakh votes, an election win is a win,” said Morcha president Bimal […]

Gorkha Janmukti Vidhyarthi Morcha (GJVM), the student body of GJM has embarked on a signature campaign apparently aimed at Thanking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in advance and requesting the government to grant ST status for all the Gorkhali communities. While it is good to see GJVM getting active, we however feel that they need […]

Writes: Vivek Chhetri The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to start a movement demanding land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantation workers and minimum wages for tea estate labourers. The party will form a 50-member committee that will have Morcha representatives and apolitical people from tea gardens and cinchona plantations, to chalk out the […]

Darjeeling 9 May 2016 The Bharatiya Gorkha Janjati Sangarsha Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of 11 hill communities demanding tribal status, today announced it would organise a signature campaign in various parts of the country to garner support and to create pressure on the Centre. The BGJSM’s demand is for according tribal status to the Bhujel, […]

There was great need for such a party in the hills, claims Harka, as all other parties have let the people down. “The common man in the hills has suffered immensely because of communal politics. Even the demand for Gorkhaland has been communalised. I want to take people away from this,” he says. The JAP […]

Writes Mukesh Sharma Kalimpong,14th April The Jana Andolan Party today in its election meeting released The West Bengal Re-Organisation Bill 2016 in Kalimpong. The meeting which was attended by 10 thousand plus party Supporter was held at Kalimpong Motar Stand. JAP Bureau member and Senior advocate Anmol  Prasad released the draft bill  throwing a open […]

Writes: Anmole Prasad If by some miracle, wrought by the concerted efforts of a thousand godmen at a yagya burning off several tons of ghee, the BJP manages to pull off a victory in West Bengal, then it is a sobering thought that Chandra Kumar Bose, grandson of Subhash Chandra Bose, might become West Bengal’s […]

Darjeeling, April 29: Bimal Gurung has expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s municipal councillors and GTA Sabha members and said the organisation might be reshuffled from the grassroots level, said sources in the party. The Morcha president held a closed-door meeting with members of the party’s central committee and subdivisional committees […]

TMC’s hill jot to beat Morcha Writes Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, April 11: The tie-up with the Jan Andolan Party and the GNLF seems to have given Trinamul enough confidence to take on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the hills. The first joint meeting convened by Trinamul, GNLF and the JAP drew an impressive crowd at […]

In house of man who started Gorkhaland stir, a family united by 3 political parties. “The first ever party formed to fight for a separate state of Gorkhaland (ABGL was formed in 1943 by Damber Singh Gurung) no longer features on Darjeeling’s political map.” The Tamang family in Darjeeling is unique, at least politically. While […]

Writes Vivek Chhetri Darjeeling, April 15: The hills, in every way alive to a multi-pronged election season, is also in the middle of a comedy of confusions. A contestant from Darjeeling’s oldest party decided at the eleventh hour that fighting an election was not what his family wanted him to do. His indecisive party chief first […]

After Gorkhas’ monopoly, BJP may open account in Bengal legislative assembly with three seats Writes Madhuparna Das DARJEELING/KURSEONG: The hills look different this election season — there are lots of Trinamool and BJP flags fluttering around, indicating the mood of its people. And unlike many years of identity politics — often marred by violence — […]

Writes Vivek Chhetri and Rajeev Ravidas Darjeeling, April 17: Bimal Gurung cast his vote at Patlaybash Community Hall in booth number 23/95 here today but the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader’s mind was two hillocks away in Kalimpong. Dressed in a blue tracksuit, Gurung voted around 9.30am and during his interaction with the media and supporters, […]

Writes: Binu Sundas As the election date approaches closer, it is becoming easier for the people of the hills to make their choice. Only the ‘candle’ seems to be burning for the people other symbols seems to be in the dark. This is due to insanity prevailing in the ‘party of intellectuals.’ Why I say […]

Harka confidence & Morcha might Vivek Chheri and Rajeev Ravidas Darjeeling, April 13: A slogan by the whistle blowing supporters of the Jan Andolan Party is rattling Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders in Kalimpong. “Look here, look there, its Harka everywhere,” shout the JAP cadres. Harka Bahadur Chhetri, the JAP president who has been allotted the […]

Darjeeling, April 1: Bimal Gurung today started his campaign in Kalimpong, where one of his former lieutenants Harka Bahadur Chhetri is in a direct fight with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. That Gurung has decided to station himself in Kalimpong for a couple of days is an indicator that the Morcha is not taking the contest […]