Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 23
The Gorkha community of Nagaland under the aegis of Nagaland Gorkha Association (NGA) will join the ‘Global Gorkhaland Unity March’ in Nagaland on July 30. The march is slated to be held in 150 plus locations across the world.
“Our mission is to unite and connect the entire Gorkha Diaspora scattered across the world to aspire towards the common cause of Gorkhaland, to remember the 110 years of struggle to honour the 1200 martyrs and their families and to raise a united voice against the violation of human rights in the Darjeeling Hills,” said NGA president Nobin Pradhan while addressing a press conference here today.
“We will raise one single voice for our rights and to live and thrive in India, our country and motherhood,” he added. To achieve the dream of Gorkhaland, he said, the Indian Gorkhas who have settled abroad across five continents and engaged in various professions got together to organize a Global Gorkhaland Unity March in five continents and across 150 plus cities/towns simultaneously.
“Their appeal to the world Gorkha community to be part of this Global March for Gorkhaland has received world wide support and in this context, the Gorkhas of Nagaland too, being part of the community is also joining the Global March in four locations- Kohima, Mokokchung, Wokha and Kiphire,” said the NGA chief.
He was hopeful that some more locations in Nagaland will come forward to join the same.
Pradhan informed that in Kohima the rally will take place at 1:00 pm at Gorkha Public Panchayat ground, wherein representatives from Nagaland Tribes Council, ENPO, NPMHR and others are expected to address the gathering. After the meeting, it will stage silent rally and march to Raj Bhavan to submit memorandum to Nagaland’s Governor PB Acharya.
He said this kind of rally is going to be a unique rally because nowhere in the world “we believe that for a single cause a worldwide rally is being held.”
In India, the rally is going to be held simultaneously at 11:00 am. But in Nagaland, respecting the religious values, it has been postponed to 1: 00 pm.
Pradhan further said the rally is to raise their voice and to show to the Government of India and Government of West Bengal that people in Darjeeling are not isolated and Gorkhas all over the world and friends of Gorkhas are together with them.
“We will march for the dreams and aspirations of our children. We will march to lend our voices to our brothers and sisters in Darjeeling. We will march for our identity, our language, our culture and our birthright in India. We will march for peace,” he asserted.
The march is also open to people from outside the Gorkha community who believe they have a moral responsibility to speak out against any threat to justice, equality and human rights, he said and sought others to join them “because we need all the support we can get.”
Gorkha Public Panchayat Kohima president Santu Thapa said that Gorkha of Nagaland fully support the cause. It is high time the government come out with policy, he stated. Thapa was hopeful that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will understand the matter and move for creation of Gorkhaland.
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