The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha has involved its youth wing to ensure that all signboards in the hills must be written in Nepali following their leader Anit Thapa’s announcement.

During this year’s Nepali New Year’s Day on April 14, Thapa had announced that all signages — both in government and private establishments — must be written in Nepali along with any other language.

Thapa, who is the president of BGPM, had called upon the youths of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Yuva Morcha to ensure its implementation within a month. For a long time, the party’s Yuva Morcha had been a dormant force.

Sources said that the central committee of the Yuva Morcha has decided to take up the issue.

“The Darjeeling sub-divisional committee of the Yuva Morcha has decided to call a meeting with different business organisations on this signage issue tomorrow (Thursday),” said a source.

The meeting will be held at the Gorkha Bhavan in Darjeeling.

The Darjeeling subdivisional committee consists of 17 GTA constituencies.

A similar meeting has been lined up in Mirik for April 19 while Kurseong and Kalimpong will hold their meetings on April 22.

While celebrating the Nepali year 2082 Bikram Sambat (B.S) on April 14, Thapa had raised the language issue.

“I request all the elected leaders to ensure that the signages are put up in Nepali within a month. I have nothing against the use of other languages too (along with Nepali). However, we have to use Nepali language as this is the homeland of Gorkhas,” Thapa had said.

Issues like identity and language are the crux of hill politics.

“The BGPM seems to be using the signage announcement as a way to galvanise its youth. Until now, the BGPM had not started any major campaign centring around youths,” said a political observer from Darjeeling.

The role of the youths comes at a time when the BGPM’s rival, the Ajoy Edwards-led Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), has been reaching out to the people largely through people-centric programmes.

Edwards is donating construction materials such as cement and rods to villagers to construct and repair small bridges and roads in the hills.

“Edwards’s strategy is creating goodwill among common people. However, the IGJF does not have the organisational network to match the BGPM just yet,” said the observer.