Members of the Janmukti Employees’ Coordination Committee at Kurseong Motor Stand on Tuesday morning. Picture by Vivek Singh

Kurseong, April 22: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has called upon all government employees owing allegiance to CPM and Congress-dominated associations to join the new coordination committee in the hills and work together for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

“The Janmukti Employees’ Coordination Committee has been formed to create a common platform for members of different employees’ unions and associations. The two biggest ’ unions — the Hill Employees’ Association and the Hill Employees and Workers’ Trade Union — have already agreed to join hands at a meeting called by us,” said Pradeep Pradhan, the vice-president of the Morcha.

“The associations dominated by the CPM and the Congress have failed to fulfil the aspirations of the hill employees. Since the members of these two unions are also Gorkhas, they should join the coordination committee to strengthen the unity of the hill people,” Pradhan added.

The coordination committee this morning brought out a procession in Kurseong where more than 500 state and central government employees raised the demand for Gorkhaland.

“We will try to support the demand by working within the service rules of Bengal and the Centre. However, if needed, we will break all the rules to achieve the demand,” the coordinator of the committee, D.T. Chettri, said.

Another Morcha leader, Joyti Kumar Rai, asked the committee to get ready with 300 members to take part in the march to Calcutta that will begin on May 7. Morcha chief Bimal Gurung had announced earlier that 10,001 people from the hills would march to the state capital on foot to demand Gorkhaland.

Rai said once the demand for a new state was met, the employees could go back to their respective unions.