DYFI members at the Morcha office. (Vivek Singh)

Kurseong, Jan. 9: Around 700 members of the DYFI here switched allegiance to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha headed by Bimal Gurung, the zonal secretary of the CPM’s youth front claimed today.

They surrendered their party flag at a programme held at the Morcha office on Monteviot Road here this morning.

“We have not joined the Morcha to become office bearers. Neither are we hungry for posts. The Morcha’s demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland brought us here. We believed in the CPM ideology but at the same time we love our community and its aspirations,” said Mohan Lama, who till yesterday was the secretary of the Kurseong Zonal Committee of the DYFI.

According to Lama, the “CPM’s constitution does not include the separate state demand” and so the youths joined the Morcha.

“We had asked Ashok Bhattacharya (the CPM municipal affairs minister from Siliguri) about the benefits of the Sixth Schedule. His answer was that it is better than a separate state. If the Sixth Schedule is good, then why doesn’t Bengal give up its statehood and opt for the special status,” added Lama.

The former DYFI leader, however, urged the Morcha to develop discipline like the CPM. “They have a great organisational set-up. That is why they have such a strong hold over Bengal.”

Morcha convener for Kurseong Pradeep Pradhan welcomed the youths by handing them his party’s flag. He said Lama’s suggestions would be looked into.