The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) has objected to the Kalimpong district administration’s plans to turn the Sahid (martyr) Park in the town to a parking lot.

The administration, along with the Motor Vehicles Department, had issued strict orders against parking of many vehicles at the Motor Stand here a few days ago.

They had also given alternative parking places, away from the main town, to ease the evergrowing traffic congestion, on a trial basis.

A traffic map prepared by the administration showed places like the Alkananda Guest House, Regulated Market and Shahid Park as alternate parking places.

The GNLF has bigger sentiments attached to the ‘Shahid Park’ as it was constructed in memory of the 1,200 martyrs who were killed during the Gorkhaland agitation led by the party supremo Subash Ghisingh in 1986.

Local GNLF leaders have raised their voices in protest against the administration’s parking lot decision. Posters were pasted in and around the town, and some of them read: “Everyone should come forward and respect the Martyrs who lost their lives for the betterment of the coming generations.”

“We request the government and the administration to leave the park out of the plan,” read another. “With this decision, we feel that the martyrs have been disregarded.

They have narrowed down the significance of the park to a car-parking lot,” Lopsang Tamang, the general secretary of the Kalimpong branch of the GNLF, told reporters.

It is learnt that the party has already submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate, requesting him not to convert the place to a parking zone.

“The government has the authority to do anything, and they can encroach on any land for an alternative settlement but we earnestly request them to leave the place as it is and we want the people to identify the place solely as Shahid Park,” Mr Tamang said, adding that the local administration and the GTA board chairman should also do the needful to preserve a place like the Park.

Administration sources, however, said they tried talking to the GNLF and convincing them about the parking space, which is going to be in front of the tomb. “We don’t want to hurt their sentiments, but we are here to solve the problems of Kalimpong as a whole.

We could remove the vehicles from the lot during events held there,” a source said. Asked about the issue, GTA board chairman Binay Tamang said he is not aware of any such thing happening in Kalimpong. “Nothing has happened officially. We have not marked the locations for parking officially; we have nothing to say from the GTA, we are not aware of it,” he said.