Candlelight rally in Gangtok condemns Sibchu killings

GANGTOK, 15 Feb: People from all walks of life, including politicians, joined the candlelight rally called by the Sikkim Nagrik Samaj in Gangtok yesterday [Monday] to condemn the 08 February police firing at Sibchu in Dooars, West Bengal, which claimed the lives of three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters. Carrying candles, this rally walked from the Private Bus Stand to Zero Point, registering their condemnation of the incident and paying homage to the three young lives lost.

The rally was joined by Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president Nar Bahadur Bhandari, Sikkim National People’s Party president Biraj Adhikari, Vice Chancellor, Sikkim University, Prof. Mahendra P Lama, and representatives of other parties and organizations.
Speaking to media-persons at the rally, Mr. Bhandari contended that the police firing was unprovoked and demanded a CBI enquiry into the incident. He claimed that only President’s Rule in West Bengal could return normalcy and human rights in the neighbouring State.
The West Bengal government, he alleged, has been using violence to suppress the Gorkhaland issue since the 1980’s.
Similarly, Prof Lama, who has recently circulated a statement on the incident on behalf of the civil society of Dooars and Darjeeling, also strongly condemned the killings and stressed that the demand for statehood was a valid one.
He stated the Gorkhas from all over the country should condemn the incident and stand together in the demand for Gorkhaland. The sacrifice of the three youth killed in the police firing had galvanized the people and strengthened the movement for statehood for the Darjeeling hills, he said.
[SAGAR CHHETRI]