The funeral procession took out from Ghising’s residence in the morning where thousands of people attended. The procession moved along Ghum, Sukepokhari and finally reached Manchu Tea Estate in Mirik for cremation. Ghising’s son Mohan lit the funeral pyre.

Before taking out the funeral procession, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) Chairman Bimal Gurung, among other leaders, paid tribute to Ghising. They termed Ghising’s demise as an irreparable loss to politics in Darjeeling. “He (Ghising) was a nationalist. Darjeeling will hardly get leader like him,” said Shanta Chhetri, a leader of Trinamul Congress.

Ghising, who spearheaded the Gorkhaland movement demanding a separate Indian state for ethnic Nepalis in the 1980s, passed away at Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on Thursday. He was 80.

Ghising established the Gorkha National Liberation Front in 1980 and started a movement demanding Gorkhaland state in North Bengal. 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 GJM chief Bimal Gurung in 2007.