Youth leader of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s, Bimal Gurung camp, Prakash Gurung, on Tuesday countered statements made by GJMM leader Binoy Tamang on Monday and claimed that the people in the Hills will not accept any kind of “alternative arrangement.” He also said that Mr Tamang’s tirade against the Sikkim chief minister was unfortunate and that it showed his political immaturity.

In a press release the GJMM camp sent on Whatsapp from an undisclosed location, the youth leader was referring to Mr Tamang’s statement he made on Monday in a public rally in Sukna in Siliguri. Mr Tamang said that a new “set-up” was on the way, which would end the Gorkhas’ identity problem and keep the community safe within India.

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He also warned the Sikkimchief minister Pawan Chamling and his government against “meddling” in Hill politics. “They are now speaking about bringing an arrangement as an alternative to Gorkhaland, and people should be careful of that, as both Anit (Thapa) and Binoy should know that our community will not accept anything less than Gorkhaland.

If they are trying to bring in another arrangement, they are playing with fire. Even though we are in the jungles, we have not lost hope and the people have also not accepted defeat,” Prakash Gurung said in the release posted in the camp’s social media group by another Morcha leader, Roshan Giri.

“The main motive of the allegations against Sikkim and its chief minister Pawan Chamling is only to spoil the good relations we have with Sikkim since ages so that our issue gets weakened. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had also given a similar statement when the Sikkim government had spoken in favour of Gorkhaland with home minister Rajnath Singh,” the release said. “No one has forgotten the injustice meted out to Sikkim through the blockade during the Gorkhaland agitation, and to make such statements against the neighbouring state is an unfortunate thing and it shows Binay’s political immaturity,” Mr Gurung added.

GNLF lauds Rohini Road renaming Meanwhile, the Gorkha National Liberation Front welcomed the announcement made by Mr Tamang to name Rohini Road after their leader Subash Ghisingh. “We welcome the decision to name Rohini Road after our leader as it was he who built it. We also welcome Mr Tamang’s announcement that the toll collected on the road would be stopped from April.

This was what our leader Subash Ghisingh also wanted,” GNLF Central Programme Cell convener, Y Lama said. Says people won’t accept ‘set-up’ that he claims Remark on Sikkim raises eyebrows SILIGURI, 22 JANUARY As comments made by Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) leader Binoy Tamang against the Sikkim government raised a few eyebrows, the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Tuesday said it reserved its comment on the matter, even as the opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) said there were vested interests of the two leaders (Mr Tamang and CM Pawan Kumar Chamling) in play in the entire matter.

When contacted, a top SDF leader in Gangtok said the party is not officially commenting on the issue for now, and that it will say something on it “at a relevant time.” SDF sources, however, said that Mr Tamang’s statements were “unwarranted and uncalledfor.” Addressing a public meeting at Sukna near Siliguri on Monday, the GJMM leader had warned Sikkim against “meddling’ in Hill politics.

Opposition SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling said the statement was a result of a personal clash and vested interests of Mr Tamang and Mr Chamling.

“Mr Tamang’s words were not directed towards the Sikkim people. In a bid to meet their personal gains, Mr Chamling should not use the citizens of Sikkim, while Mr Tamang should also not blame the Sikkim people,” he said.