statesman news service
KURSEONG, 30 JUNE: In its strategy to organise its indoor party meeting for the revival of its organisational strength, the GNLF supporters have also had to face some stiff opposition of threats and today finally, it has been alleged that a group of GJMM activists finally carried the warning and attacked them at Kaharay Khola in Kurseong, this afternoon.
It was learnt that three persons have been injured and presently admitted at the Kurseong Sub-divisional Hospital, Kurseong.
They have been identified as Mr Sangay Rumba, resident of Chimney, Mr Mahesh Singh and Mr Bimal Tamang, residents of St. Mary&’s Hill.
It was learnt that for the past few days, the GNLF party had been busy organising its different indoor meetings at different places in Kurseong sub-division.
They had organised one of its political meetings in the heart of Kurseong town at Gorkha Jan Pustakalaya yesterday, after a long wait of five years just to meet together.
Following the trend, today too, the party was planning to organise their meeting which was scheduled to be held at Gorabari near Sonada.
One of the GNLF supporters, Mr Sangay Rumba (48), who has been hospitalised in Kurseong after the skirmish at Kaharay Khola, said: "We were to organise another of our party&’s indoor meetings at Gorabari near Sonada but following the disturbance there by the GJMM supporters, the police administration requested us to cancel our meeting."
He said: "Accordingly we had cancelled the meeting and were returning home when a vehicle carrying GJMM activists followed and overtook us at Kaharay Khola. They stopped our vehicle and started raining stones on us. We were also attacked with “khukuri”, a sharp weapon. Had I not caught hold of the khukuri, I would have been hacked to death. There were six of us, including the driver, when we were assaulted."
Mr Rumba also claimed that he has identified two of the attackers in the group and has named the GTA Sabha member Mr Anosh Thapa and GJMM Youth leader Mr Premendra Gurung.
Notably, Mr Rumba, a known GNLF activist, had been earlier assaulted by GJMM supporters at his village in Chimney in which his house and motorbike had also been torched.
On the other hand, the GJMM leadership and GTA members denied any involvement of its cadres in the incident and said that a handful of GNLF supporters are only trying to disturb the peaceful environment in the Hills.
“They have betrayed the Hill people for 21 long years and now again they are provoking the Hill people towards violence when peace and development in the Hills is being carried out by the GTA,” a GNLF supporter said.
A police officer said: "An FIR has been filed by Sangay Rumba against the GTA Sabha Member and senior GJMM Leader Anosh Thapa and others. An investigation is on. However, no one has been arrested so far."