Jhakris take part in the procession in Darjeeling. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, May 9: If the rally brought out by the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) today to mark the ?Sansari Mai? puja was supposed to prove the tribal character of the Gorkhas, it clearly did not.

For, not many shared the GNLF?s enthusiasm in tracing their tribal roots.

Around 50-odd people, most of whom were GNLF leaders and employees of the DGHC?s information and cultural department, were seen standing in front of the Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhavan at 8.30 in the morning from where the rally was supposed to take off.

Billed to be a major show, the rally turned out to be a major disappointment with only a handful of shamans (witch doctors), a group of Chabrung dancers and GNLF supporters marching behind a jeep which, carrying a photograph of Sansari Mai, slowly coursed its way through the town.

Quizzed over the low turnout at the rally, the information and cultural department officials passed the buck on the civic authorities.

?Actually many people joined the rally on its way. It is not true that only 50 people were present. When we reached the temple, around 200 people were part of the rally,? said assistant director of the department Manikamal Chhetri, attempting to save face.

?Actually, the civic officials were really the ones who organised the event. We were only helping them out. It will be better if you get in touch with them,? he told this correspondent.

The DGHC officials had maintained yesterday that they were expecting a huge gathering for the rally, organised by the DGHC and the Darjeeling civic body.

B.M. Limboo, the vice-chairman of the municipality, however, said: ?The people whom we had invited did turn up. Actually, we had sent out invitations only to five associations.? He, however, did not say what happened to the hundreds of shamans and local residents who were supposed to come but did not.

What, however, seemed strange was that the GNLF refrained from showing off its strength at its own rally, at a time when Ghisingh was trying to use the tribal plank to get the Darjeeling Hills incorporated into the Sixth Schedule.

The Opposition, however, did not let go of the opportunity to slam Ghisingh. ?One cannot get tribal status by organising a puja. There are a whole lot of other things involved. Ghisingh is just trying to fool the people,? Madan Tamang, chairman, PDF, said.