Darjeeling, March 4: Shanta Chhetri, the Kurseong MLA, has been forced to cancel her son’s wedding reception scheduled for tomorrow as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has banned the GNLF leader’s entry to the hills.

“My effigies are being burnt almost everyday and when people are laying siege not only to my house but also that of my in-laws, how can I organise a wedding reception?” said Chhetri over phone from Calcutta. The Morcha leaders have refused comment.

The GNLF leader had invited the wrath of the Morcha after she gave an interview to a Calcutta-based private television channel in favour of the Sixth Schedule status for the hills. The Morcha is against the special status, the bill on which was scrutinised by a parliamentary committee, which has recommended a review before it can be placed in the Lok Sabha. Subash Ghisingh, the GNLF chief, was the main architect of the bill.

Twenty-four-year-old Sharad Chandra Karki, Chhetri’s son, had married Nita (21) on October 12 last year. It was an arranged marriage and a ceremony had taken place on that day at the girl’s house at Samathar, 35km from Kalimpong. “We were supposed to hold a puja at Kurseong tomorrow followed by a wedding reception,” the MLA said.

Although the Chhetris had not planned for an elaborate reception, they were looking forward to inviting close friends and relatives. “I could not attend the ceremony at the bride’s house because I was then in England on official work. I have not yet organised the dhokbheat,” she added.

Without a dhokbeat, the relatives of the bride and groom cannot interact and have to avoid each other. In fact, the Chhetri family is not sure when the ceremony will be held again. At the moment, the entire family, except for Sharad and Nita, are with the legislator in Calcutta.

The MLA today said everyone in the hills were in favour of Gorkhaland. “When three new states were formed in 2001, I had raised the issue of Gorkhaland in the Assembly. During my tenure, I have helped a lot of people but sadly nobody seems to remember it now,” she said.

Morcha in Delhi

A seven-member delegation led by Morcha president Bimal Gurung today met external affair minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi. “We have told Mukherjee that the government should withdraw the Sixth Schedule bill,” said Giri.