The fast unto death of 100 Gorkha Janamukti Morcha activists continued on Saturday even as Darjeeling district and Dooars in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas are bracing for a four-day shutdown from December 14.
The GJM student wing proclaimed that they would be at the helm of the agitation, including fast unto death and general strikes in the proposed Gorkhaland area, after December 18.
A seven-member core team of the women’s wing of the GJM, led by Asha Gurung, wife of GJM president Bimal Gurung, left for Delhi on Saturday for staging a relay hunger strike in the capital from December 14.
Another 70 members of the women’s wing will be in Delhi and Kolkata to join the relay hunger strikes.
Amar Lama, GJM central committee leader, said, “We are awaiting a report from the four-member team now camping in Delhi. Accordingly, we’ll decide our future course of action.”
He said, “The date for the tripartite talks (December 21) and the venue (Darjeeling) is more or less fixed. But we’re not sure whether we will participate.”