GREATER COOCHBEHAR

GCDP women stir for separate state

The activists of the Cooch Behar Naree Mancha, the women wing of the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party (GCDP), organised a sit-in demonstration at Shahid Baag in Cooch Behar on Thursday. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate of Cooch Behar.

Ms Sikta Barman, the secretary of Cooch Behar Naree Mancha said they organised the agitational programme demanding formation of a separate state – Greater Cooch Behar or Kamtapur. 10 persons of the GCDP are on indefinite hunger strike at Prantik Bazar of Dinhata since 12 December but the state administration is yet to take any initiative to reach for an amicable solution, she alleged. She also demanded a tripartite meeting to consider the demand for a separate state comprising of 6 North Bengal districts of West Bengal and 15 districts of Assam.

GCDP president Mr Ashutosh Barma said on 29 December they would organise a 'gherao' demonstration at the Divisional Commissioner's office at Jalpaiguri. "We are going to start fast-unto-death programme at all the twelve blocks of Cooch Behar district if the government stays inactive over the issue for a long," the GCDP leader threatened.