Gorkhaland stir from Aug 19

Darjeeling (PTI): With the GJM having relaxed the indefinite bandh to demand Goron on Tuesday said that the 'agitation' would be continued from August 19. "The agitation will continue from the 19th," Gurung said in a Facebook post, without specifying what the agitation would be or whether the indefinite bandh which entered the 11th day, would be continued.

"The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will continue to exercise their freedom of expression, speech and will assemble peacefully to press for their demand for Gorkhaland," he said. "We will let the people know our plans on the 16th," he said. The GJM had on Monday announced that an all party meeting would be held on August 16.

'If no Vidarbha, transfer 2 districts to Telangana’

Gadchiroli (PTI): With the demand for Vidarbha already gaining heat after Centre's nod to Telangana, an NCP leader has said that if a separate state is not carved out of Maharashtra, then its Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts should be included in Telangana.

The demand for Vidarbha state (out of Maharashtra) is even older than that of Telangana and it should not be ignored by the government any more, former Minister of State and senior NCP leader Dharmarao Baba Atram told reporters here. "If Vidarbha state is not created, then Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts of the region should be included in the newly declared Telangana state," he said.

Hyderabad, the proposed capital of Telangana, is nearer for the people of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts as compared to Mumbai. Hence, it is always beneficial for the people of these two districts to get included in Telangana, he said. The Central and the State leadership should take immediate cognisance of the sentiments of the Vidarbhaites and accord statehood to the region, Atram said.