GJM calls for fresh Darjeeling shutdown
The situation in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal today took an ugly turn as the West Bengal government cracked down arresting 40 Gorkha Janamukhti Morcha (GJM) leaders and workers including its assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang, and the GJM threatening to call an indefinite general strike and asking its 750 workers o go on a hunger strike unless they are released.
The police this morning carried out several raids in the hills and arrested at least 40 GJM workers including to members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and also Tamang from Kalimpong. Tamang has been remanded to 14 days jail custody in connection to an old criminal case.
With these arrests 15 GTA members and around 750 GJM members are now behind bars.As the news of arrests spread, thousands of people came out on the streets of Darjeeling to hear GJM supremo Bimal Gurung. Gurung, who had earlier announced loosening of the agitation to facilitate rehabilitation work due to heavy rain leading to landslides and easing of the “janata curfew” to let people buy essential commodities, delivered a fiery speech.
He said, “We will call for an indefinite bandh unless our leaders and workers are re- leased. At no cost will we speak to chief minister Mamata Banerjee as she has betrayed our trust. In the accord it was mentioned that false and old cases against our comrades will be withdrawn but she not only violated it but using them to arrest our leaders and workers.” The police crackdown today has led to tension in the hills where other than state police six companies of the CRPF have been deployed which are carrying out flag marches on the streets. Following the Calcutta High Court severly reprimanding the GJM for calling general strikes in the hills and the judges asking: “Are people in the hills animals that they can be treated as the agitation leaders want?”, Gurung had softened his stand and asked people to come out on the streets to protest.
Though Gurung ruled out any talks with Banerjee, he wanted West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan and the Centre to intervene. Gurung said, : “We will wither talk either with the Centre or the Governor.” Narayan, who had ruled out any division of the state and had stated that he considered himself as an “insider in West Bengal, which has both the hills and the sea”, today said, “I am willing to talk to the GJM leaders. But if they want, they should approach me first.” "We will not talk to the state government. This matter concerns the centre and it will have to intervene," Gurung said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) politburo member and Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra today wrote to the Governor seeking his intervention and requesting him to ask the state government to call for an all-party meeting to diffuse the situation in the hills. The CPI(M) pointed out that when former chief minister late Jyoti Basu and signed an accord with Gorkha National Liberation front (GNLF) supremo Subash Ghisingh in the 90s, it was mentioned that there would be no demand for a separate state and Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) was formed as autonomus body which was given sufficient funds for de- velopment of the hills. Said Jibesh Sarkar, Darjeeling CPI(M) district secretary, “However, when Mamata Banerjee signed the tripartite accord along former home minister P. Chidambara, to set up the GTA, it is mentioned that keeping in mind the demand for separate state of Gorkhaland. She practically accepted the demand and added fuel to the fire in the hill.”
He alleged, “For her narrow political gains, Mamata used the GJM and now she is making irresponsible statements which is insulting to the people of the hills and worsening the situation. This is a political problem and cannot be suppressed with police action.”The Congress is blaming Mamata.