Darjeeling, 22nd December: After three and a half years of exile, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s (GJM) founder-president Bimal Gurung held his first public meeting in Darjeeling on Sunday afternoon. Gurung got quite emotional speaking on the present condition of his party office, village and the school he had built for the poor children.
Today, the GJM President reached the party office ‘Paharki Rani’ in Patlebas where he was warmly welcomed by his supporters. After addressing the gathering, Gurung offered khadas and bid a tearful farewell to the party workers who had been living with him in exile. The said workers left for their native villages in Gorubathan and Mirik after three and a half years.
It is to recall, amid the ongoing shutdown across the Darjeeling Hills over separate Gorkhaland statehood issue in 2017, West Bengal Police and the CRPF raided the residence of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief in the Patlebas area. Later on October 2017, a major fire broke out in Gurung’s village at Patlebas destroying several houses, many of which belonged to his loyalists. The cause of the fire or casualties due to it was not ascertained.