Enthused by its clean sweep of all three seats in the Darjeeling hills in the just-concluded assembly elections, the Gorkha National Liberation Front has renewed its demand for Gorkhaland -- separate statehood for the Gorkhas.
GNLF leader Shanta Chetri, who retained her Kurseong seat for two consecutive terms in the assembly polls, told reporters on Friday that there was no reason to surrender the demand for Gorkhaland.
In this election, people gave their verdict in favour of the sixth schedule status achieved by party supreme Subash Ghising, which they considered a bold step towards achieving Gorkhaland.
The GNLF, which retained its grip in the Hills, took out a victory procession on Friday, shouting slogans, 'Haryo jhanda jhukdhno' (green flag -- party flag of GNLF -- will never bow down).
The leaders explained to the rank and file that the sixth schedule status offered to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was the stepping stone to meeting the original demand for Gorkhaland.
The opposition People's Democratic Front, which also made the sixth schedule an election issue, had tried to woo the electorate saying that the sixth schedule status was a full stop to the aspiration for Gorkhaland.
The party alleged that Ghising was no longer interested in the movement and had again surrendered the Gorkhaland demand while signing the tripartite agreement with the state and the Centre on December 06, 2005. However, it appeared from the people's verdict that the hill people were still with the GNLF.
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