The Binoy Tamang camp of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) on Wednesday opened its Tukvar constituency unit party office at the residence of fugitive Morcha leader Bimal Gurung’s residence at Patleybas, around 6 km from here.
According to sources, the party office there was opened in the presence of Morcha founder member Dinesh Thing, while leaders of the Tukvar constituency were also present at the three-storey building that had remained vacant after the agitation last year.
When contacted, a senior Morcha leader, Alok Kanta Mani Thulung, confirmed the news and said, “Our unit from Tukvar constituency has opened its office there from on Wednesday. The idea is to make people living around that area feel safe.”
“Many miscreants had been breaking the locks of the gates there after they found the house empty, while in one instance someone also hung the head of a goat at the gate there. We want to stop such things and want people in the area to feel safe,” he added.
According to him, the earlier office of the Morcha at Patleybas and Singamari had been sealed, “but officially we know nothing of this property being sealed, but if the administration wants us to vacate it in the coming days, we will do so. Our party unit there wants to provide temporary relief to the people of that area by opening the office there and use it for social causes,” said Mr Thulung.
He also claimed that there was no ‘proper owner’ of the said property as the land, according to him, belongs to the Pattabung Tea Estate and the forest department.
Sources said only one of the three floors of the building will be used as the party office, with another floor being given to one Pranil Subba, a Morcha leader, whose house was recently gutted in a fire.