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Washington DC, June 28, 2017 -  Friends of Indian Gorkha Community in United States to stage a peaceful protest rally to highlight the high handedness by West Bengal Government in Darjeeling, India and to request the Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi to consider the formation of a separate statehood- Gorkhaland.

Throwback: The Gorkha community in India hails mainly in the Darjeeling Hills region. Indian Gorkhas have played a key role in defending India and rightly so have persistently pursued the dream of a separate state of Gorkhaland within the Indian Constitution. This century old demand for Gorkhaland, a separate state within India comprising of the Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and some regions of Siliguri subdivision has been denied by the State & the Central Government of India.

The demand for Gorkhaland is a just and democratic one. Historically, Darjeeling was not a part of Bengal and was leased by the British from the kingdom of Sikkim in 1835. 1907 was the first time when the demand for a separate statehood for Darjeeling was submitted. Today the community at large feels that they have not got their due despite what they have sacrificed for the country.
Over the years the movement of 1986, 2007, 2013 and the current agitations have cost close to the upwards of 1500 lives and hundreds of casualties. Because of the political unrest, the economic development has gone on a downward spiral in the hills and as of last 2 weeks events triggered by the unjust and shocking imposition of Bengali language over Nepali, which has been the established official language has led to indefinite strike and shutting off the internet/media access. This recent unrest has caused quite a rage amongst the people living there as well as the Gorkha community at large across India and abroad.
The movement itself reaffirms its patriotism to India while demanding a separate state with the slogan of “Jai Hind, Jai Gorkha”.

WHAT:       Peaceful rally to protest
WHEN:       July 3rd,  2-4pm EST
WHERE:     Gather at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (in front of White
House) and rally along [ref route below] till Indian
Embassy, 2107 Massachusetts Ave before disbanding.