Mukesh Sharma
Darjeeling Duars united development foundation today held its first election meeting at kalimpong Town. Addressing the meeting Foundation Independent candidate Dr. Mahendra P Lama I want to go to Parliament for seven reasons and the chief among them is with the demand of a separate state for the people of Darjeeling and the Dooars.

He said his decision to contest in the general election as an independent candidate from Darjeeling is to create a path for the creation of a separate state. Once elected to Parliament, he would pursue seven major issues related to the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars, asserted the academician.
The DDUDF leader also said the saffron party is getting goose-bumps seeing the strong support for him. Attcking GJM chief Bimal Gurung, the independent candidate said the hill leader is doing false politics in name of Gorkhaland. He said leader is doing agitation for Gojiland not Gorkhaland.

He added that if u vote for BJP u will push one step your future generation to Darkness. If you vote for TMC you will do the same thing so he applead to masses to Close and think that the vote you are casting will be for darkness or to secure your generation.

Further, Lama said he wants educational institutions, both national and international, to be established in the region. “I would like to invite the maximum number of foreign investors to the region. Darjeeling is surrounded by four international borders. Fair international trade can be practiced here. NGOs and INGOs could be linked up with several ministries of India and foreign governments. This will help educated youths to earn livelihood as well as engage in social work. We don’t want gifts from the government, we want our rights,” he noted.

Lama cited examples of other hilly states in the country that are exempted from Income Tax and expressed his desire to make Darjeeling a tax free region.