Students go on hunger strike for Gorkhaland

Kolkata: Hundreds of students participated in a relay hunger strike in West Bengal's Darjeeling district to press for a separate Gorkhaland state.

Several Gorkha students started the hunger strike Thursday afternoon under the banner of Gorkha Janavidyarthi Morcha - the students wing of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is agitating for a separate state for the Darjeeling Hills.

"Students divided in groups started the hunger strike in front of the government offices across three hill sub-divisions - Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong. Each student will continue the strike for 24 hours and then the student will be replaced by another student," said Kishman Chetri, Gorkha Janavidyarthi Morcha president and GJM's central committee member.

Rallies announced

He said the GJM's student wing will also take out rallies across the hills over the same demand.

"There are talks going on in Kolkata and Delhi between senior GJM leaders and the central and state leaderships. But we want a positive solution to the discussion and our demand is Gorkhaland," said Chetri.