“He was admitted to the hospital on Sunday after his health deteriorated. The hospital informed us that he had serious liver and thyroid complications with multiple organ failure,” Prakash Dahal, a central member of the Ghising-founded Gorkha National Liberation Front, told the Post. Ghising established the GNLF in 1980 and started a movement demanding Gorkhaland state in Darjeeling. Around 1,200 people died in the movement.

Ghising became the chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, formed by the Indian government in 1988, as the demand for separate state did not materialise. He ruled the Darjeeling hills for two decades.

Ghising lost his ground as the statehood demand was revived by his one-time protégé and now chief of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, Bimal Gurung, in 2007. Ghising then left Darjeeling and was staying at his relative’s house in Haryana for the past few years.

Ghising was also a writer in Nepali literature. He wrote a number of novels and stories under the pen-name of Subash. Dahal said

Ghising’s body would be brought to his home town on Friday for last rites.

Ghising is survived by two sons and a daughter.