Dead paraded in India’s Darjeeling amid unrest
DARJEELING: Hundreds of protesters yesterday paraded with coffins containing the bodies of two men they claimed were killed in clashes with Indian security forces here as the hill resort reels from separatist unrest.
Nearly 50 people, mostly police, have been injured in riots and arson attacks that rattled the picturesque hill station for more than a week, and caused thousands of mostly Indian tourists to flee.
As the violence escalated sharply on Saturday, police said one man died and 35 policemen were hurt as protesters torched cars and set upon security forces with knives, who responded with tear gas and baton charges.
West Bengal director-general of police Anuj Sharma said the dead man appeared to have been shot, but the police denied using live ammunition.
But supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) — a separatist movement that called for a separate state for ethnic Gorkhas in West Bengal — dispute this, saying three of their comrades were shot dead by police in the clashes.
Hundreds of mourners yesterday silently escorted the coffins of two men through the streets of town, waving India’s flag and posters calling for peace.
A GJM spokesman said the body of the third victim was awaiting post-mortem. AFP