Martyrs’ memorials commemorating the lives of hundreds who laid down their lives during the Gorkhaland agitation are being built across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik.

The initiative has been launched by the Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF) under the leadership of its chief convener, Ajoy Edwards.

As part of the first phase, white marble busts of four Gorkhaland martyrs are being installed. These busts, each weighing over 100kg, are being hand-sculpted in Jaipur, Rajasthan, using premium white marble to ensure that they last for generations.

“We are using white marble as it is a material known not only for its elegance but also for its ability to withstand time and variables of weather. Given its longevity, the marble ensures that these memorials will endure for centuries, standing as timeless tributes to the martyrs,” said Edwards.

Each memorial will include a QR code offering detailed historical information about the martyr and the date of their sacrifice to make the sites both commemorative and educational for the people who come to see them.

The four martyrs being honoured in the first phase are Mahesh Gurung, Bimal Shashankar and Sunil Rai, who were killed during the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation and Mangal Singh Rajput, who died after self-immolation in Kalimpong during the 2013 Gorkhaland agitation.

The IGJF plans to install the busts of all the martyrs starting from the 1986 agitation.

Some people have estimate that around 1,200 people have died during the Gorkhaland agitations starting from 1986.

“We need photographs, but it is getting difficult to get photographs of people who died in 1986. It seems it was luxury to take a photograph then,” said Edwards.

Installation work is currently underway at sites in Jhepi and Relling in Darjeeling, as the three martyrs whose bust are being built during the first phase comes from that region.

The work is being carried on with support from Sachet Yuwa Samuha, a youth-led community group.

In Kalimpong, the IGJF team is working closely with the family of martyr Mangal Singh Rajput to oversee the memorial.

“The locals are identifying the sites and building the column while we are paying for the statues,” said Edwards.

A cost of a single busts is coming to ₹70,000.

“This is not just about remembrance, it is about asserting our identity, our vision for Gorkhaland, and the ultimate sacrifices made by our people,” said Edwards in a written statement. “These busts will stand as enduring symbols of our people’s resilience and unbreakable spirit.”

Edwards added that the installations mark only the beginning of a larger movement. “We aim to build hundreds of these memorials across the hills so that no sacrifice goes unremembered. Let the next generation know who stood tall when it mattered most.”

The hill party has urged the public to help identify local martyrs from their
respective areas.

Other political parties like the Gorkha National Liberation Front and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha under whose leadership the previous Gorkhaland agitation was spearheaded have also installed statues.

“However, this is the first time that a political party is coming up with a extensive plan to install statues,” said an observer.

Edwards’s team is also helping erect a bridge in Darjeeling that is being named
as Gorkhaland.

Recently, his party decided to help villagers repair roads and even set up a few bridges by providing free cement and rods for constructions.

The local people contributed to building the infrastructure through free labour.