Fifth day of bandh in Darjeeling

Normal life remained paralysed for the fifth day in the Darjeeling hills on Sunday because of the indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in protest against the police firing on its supporters at Sipchu in the Dooars of north Bengal last week.

With a woman succumbing on Saturday to injuries sustained in the firing, the death toll in the incident has risen to three.

The bandh, however, in the Terai and the Dooars area in the north Bengal plains was lifted.

Meanwhile the GJM leadership has dismissed the draft proposal sent to it by the Centre a few days ago on the alternative administrative arrangement to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council for the Darjeeling hills.

“The draft proposal sent by the Union government is a non-statement about nothing. If the Centre invites us for further talks, they should be on a permanent solution which will have to include the inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas in the Dooars and the Terai in any future discussions,” Harka Bahadur Chettri, senior GJM leader and a member of the party told The Hindu over telephone from Kalimpong sub-division.

“There can be a permanent solution only with the creation of a separate Gorkhaland State. But the option of a Union Territory is still open,” he added.

Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, however, yet again ruled out any division of the State.Speaking on the fresh wave of trouble in the Darjeeling hills, he said that his government has repeatedly been saying that the only way to break the political impasse is through talks and not violence.

“The Trinamool Congress has found a new friend in them (those behind the violence in Darjeeling hills) and that's why it is quiet (on the developments there)”, he added.

GJM bandh hits normal life in Darjeeling for third day

DARJEELING: Normal life was hit for the third day in Darjeeling Hills on Friday in response to the indefinite bandh called by the GJM to protest police firing at Sipchu in Jalpaiguri district that left two persons dead.

Shops, business establishments and markets were closed while vehicles were off the roads. Attendance was thin in government offices.

All the tea gardens in the hills were closed in response to the bandh.

The GJM has exempted the census work and students appearing for examinations from the purview of the indefinite bandh which it called after two persons were killed in police firing at Sipchu on Tuesday.

Official sources said the situation in the hills was now under control and no major untoward incident has been reported from anywhere since Wednesday.

The BSF had on Thursday conducted flag marches in Darjeeling town and Kalimpong sub-division, they said.

Top GJM leaders, including GJM president Bimal Gurung, would hold a meeting in the evening to decide the future course of action including whether the bandh would continue or not, GJM sources said.

The last rites of the two persons killed in the police firing was conducted on Thursday.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri had on Thursday reiterated the demand for a CBI inquiry into the police firing at Sipchu and had stated that outfit would not return to the talks table if Gorkhaland was not the issue of discussion.

TOI

From tomorrow, 'Govt of Gorkhaland' takes over

KOLKATA: After enforcing that car number plates in the Darjeeling hills carry the 'GL' marking, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has directed that all sig
nboards in the region should carry Gorkhaland in place of West Bengal from Friday.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said government offices such as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council will have to bear the inscription 'Government of Gorkhaland' instead of 'Government of West Bengal' from Friday.

"In case of signboards at private establishments such as offices, shops and hotels, it should read Darjeeling and Kurseong, followed by 'Gorkhaland," Giri said.

"This is part of our non-coperation movement that is aimed at showing that we are not willing to stay under West Bengal's rule," he said.

This will also be applicable in areas such as Siliguri, Terai and the Dooars, he said.

District Magistrate of Darjeeling Surendra Gupta said the move was illegal and would be dealt with "appropriately".

"It is illegal and we will react when it is enforced. Home Secretary (Ashok Mohan Chakraborty) has stated the government's position clearly on October 13 and I have nothing to add to that," he said.

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