Kurseong, 02nd August: Ramakrishna Sharma, a youth from Kurseong, has taken a bold step by writing letters to the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the demand for a separate state of Darjeeling Hills. Demonstrating his sense of responsibility as an Indian citizen and a hill dweller, he sent two letters—one directly and the other through Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista.
In his letters, Ramakrishna Sharma outlined the historical facts and the political journey of Darjeeling Hills. He specifically requested that the issue be addressed on Independence Day this year, with assistance from Advocate Birendra Rasaily. Additionally, Ramakrishna Sharma extended a humble plea to every citizen in the hills to raise their voices before the government and seek their support for the cause.
In his letter, Ramakrishna Sharma emphasized, “For 116 years, the demand for a separate administrative system for Darjeeling Hills has persisted, yet concrete action remains elusive. Despite the issue falling under the central government’s jurisdiction, no clear stand has been taken so far. The present central government, led by BJP, has received significant support from the Darjeeling hills since 2009. The party has backed the demand for a separate state and provided assurances, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself pledging, ‘Gorkha’s dream is my dream’ during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. However, this commitment remains unfulfilled till date.
Instead of addressing the longstanding agitation for Gorkhaland, the government introduced arrangements like DGHC and GTA, postponing the movement. Despite BJP’s promise of a Permanent Solution (PPS) for Hill-Terai-Dooars, no action has been taken in this regard.”