The Telegraph

Siliguri, Aug. 26: GNLF leader Dawa Pakhrin, who fled Kalimpong with his family on July 26 after his house was torched by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters, today said he was feeling insecure in Darjeeling and was leaving the region.

“There is no security for me and my family in the hills as the Morcha leaders are openly threatening me and many other GNLF supporters. So I am leaving today the region, probably Bengal too,” Pakhrin told journalists at a hotel here before leaving Siliguri. “I do not want to disclose my destination, as it is a threat to my security,” he said.

The Morcha, however, has denied having threatened Pakhrin. “If Pakhrin had received any threat from us, he should have informed the district administration instead of going to the media,” said Binay Tamang, the media secretary of the party, from Darjeeling.

Pakhrin alleged that the Morcha supporters occupied his bungalow in Kalimpong on August 22 in the presence of police. “They did not even allow the body of Ghisingh’s wife to enter Darjeeling. The administration remained silent. This is unfortunate,” he said. “The chief minister and the district administration should be held responsible for this.”

The Kalimpong branch president of the GNLF believes that 50 per cent of the hill population still support his party. “Had the administration co-operated with us, we could have shown how many of us are still there in the hills,” he said.

Pakhrin said he is still with the GNLF. “Why should I quit my party? There is 100 per cent possibility that it will bounce back.”

The GNLF leader said he had lodged a complaint against the Morcha supporters with the Kalimpong police yesterday, which according to him, “was a mere formality”.

K.B.Dorjee, the additional superintendent of police in Kalimpong, confirmed receiving the complaint today and said an investigation was on.

Jibitesh Sarkar, the CPM’s state committee member, said the Morcha supporters were not allowing the Opposition to organise its activities in the hills. “The administration is aware of the situation.”