File picture of a blockade set up by DYFI supporters to prevent Morcha marchers from entering Siliguri on Thursday

Darjeeling, April 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha is ready to start its agitation for Gorkhaland in the Dooars from Sunday.

For Bimal Gurung, the party president, the first public address in the Dooars will be at Bagrakote on April 20.

The Morcha wants both the Siliguri subdivision and the Dooars to be made part of the new state that they are demanding.

“The party president will address our first meeting at Bagrakote on April 20,” said Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha. The next meeting has been scheduled at Samsing on April 22 and at Birpara and Kalchini on the 24th and 25th respectively.

Keeping in mind the mixed population — of Nepali speaking people and tribals — in the area, the Morcha has invited leaders of the All Jharkhand Students’ Union (AJSU) to attend the meeting at Bagrakote.

“Sudesh Mahato the AJSU president, will address it,” said Binay Tamang, the media and publicity secretary of the Morcha. Mahato is considered a popular tribal leader.

The Morcha said the next phase of meetings in the Dooars would follow once the local committees are formed.

Lathicharge probe

The Bengal chief secretary has appointed M.L. Meena, principal secretary in the environment department, to inquire into “the sequence of events leading to the police action against the agitators” at Darjeeling More on April 9, reports our Siliguri correspondent.

Those who want to depose before the commission may do so on April 20 and 21 from 10am to 5pm at the Siliguri circuit house, a release issued by the information and cultural affairs department said.