A Nari Morcha supporter tries to stop a vehicle in Panchnoi. (Kundan Yolmo)

Darjeeling, May 16: The Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha today announced that it would organise rallies for three days starting May 18 to condemn the police firing on the Assam-Meghalaya border that killed five Nepali-speaking people on Friday, coinciding with the ABGL’s scheduled public meeting on May 19.

The ABGL had already announced that it would hold a public meeting at Chowk Bazar on May 19 to celebrate its foundation day. The Madan Tamang-led party had earlier planned the meeting for yesterday but postponed it later because of the Morcha’s two-day weekend strike.

“We have decided to hold a public meeting and rallies on May 18, 19 and 20 to protest the killings of Nepali-speaking people in the Northeast. Our people in the Northeast are insecure and we must do our bit to help them,” said Asha Gurung, Morcha chief Bimal Gurung’s wife and a member of the women wing’s core committee. The three-day programme will be held across the area that the party wants as Gorkhaland.

The Nari Morcha leader, however, denied that her party’s programmes were aimed at derailing the ABGL meeting. “Our intention is not to derail any party’s programme. We are not bothered with other’s programmes. For the past two years, an agitation is being spearheaded by the Morcha and certain decisions have been taken spontaneously,” Asha said.

Madan Tamang, however, wondered why the Morcha was “so desperate to stop” the ABGL from holding meetings. “The two day strike (May 15 and 16) was called to stop our foundation day meeting. The three-day programme is again to derail our public meeting. I wonder why the Morcha is so desperate to stop our meetings. They (Morcha) are fighting for their survival now and we will go ahead with our scheduled meeting,” said Tamang.

In the past two years, the ABGL has been forced to cancel at least three public meetings because of “common people” occupying the dais before the start of the party’s meeting.

Tamang said he had already obtained administrative approval for the May 19 meeting, while Asha said her outfit would apply for permission.