Women supporters of the Morcha celebrate in Kalimpong. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

March 10: The news that Subash Ghisingh has quit after 20 years was confirmed after 3pm. And then the frenzy started. Till then what had been a mute celebration in the Darjeeling hills turned into intense sloganeering and dancing on the streets.

In Darjeeling, almost every musical instrument, from madals (traditional instruments) to dholaks, came out of the shelves with women supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha singing and swaying to popular Nepali tunes.

The crowd soon organised itself into a procession, which snaked its way through the town bursting crackers and waving Morcha flags before assembling at Chowrastha.

For the next one hour, people danced to pro-Gorkhaland songs and waited for Morcha president Bimal Gurung to arrive at the venue.

“This is the fruit of the people’s struggle. We will make merry and celebrate the day after tomorrow also,” said Gurung, who arrived at 6pm. He did not specify the place of the celebration. “We must not forget our goal, which is Gorkhaland. At the moment, we are just removing hurdles but our struggle must continue,” he added.

Most of the Opposition parties in the hills who were at the receiving end of the GNLF for the last two decades appeared satisfied. Madan Tamang, the president of the ABGL, said: “This is the beginning of the end of a dictatorial rule. For the last two decades, this man (Ghisingh) had interfered in every aspect of hill life — from culture and music to religion.”

Tamang, however, had a word of caution for hill leaders. “If leaders continue to lie to the people and start speaking in two different tunes once they cross Bagdogra, this will be their fate (referring to how Ghisingh was forced to resign). The people’s wish is Gorkhaland and no one should compromise on it,” he said.

In Calcutta, two of the three GNLF MLAs — Pranay Rai and Gaulan Lepcha — have decided to identify themselves as a breakaway group, the GNLF (rebels). “We have written to the Speaker, requesting him to allot us separate seats in the Assembly since we do not belong to the GNLF any longer,” said Rai, the Darjeeling MLA.

Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim later said: “Rebel GNLF legislators are being treated as a breakaway group of the GNLF because they have not formed any party after quitting their parent organisation.”

The third GNLF legislator, Shanta Chhetri, who is from Kurseong, has decided to stand by her party.