Darjeeling Protest: Gurung, 43 GJM Members Resign From GTA
GJM General Secretary said the GTA has been turned into a “farce” by the West Bengal government.
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- Gorkhas in Arunachal Pradesh brought out a rally on Saturday evening in support of the movement
- 43 GJM members resigned from Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Friday
- All-party meeting postponed to 29 June, said GJM chief Bimal Gurung
- West Bengal has turned GTA into a farce: GJM
- Sikkim Chief Minister has backed demand for the state of Gorkhaland
- The indefinite shutdown, called by GJM, has brought life to a standstill in Darjeeling
Gorkhas of Arunachal Rally for Gorkhaland
Gorkhas in Arunachal Pradesh brought out a rally on Saturday evening in support of the ongoing movement in Darjeeling hills for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state.
Gorkha men, women and children took part in the rally amidst heavy rains carrying pro-Gorkhaland placards and shouting slogans against the West Bengal government.
The rally, which started off from IG Park, culminated at the Itanagar Monastery where the protesters lit candles in memory of three persons who were allegedly killed in clashes with police in Darjeeling on 17 June.
Car, Bus Services to Sikkim Hit
Bus and car services between Siliguri, considered the gateway to the north east, and Gangtok were affected on Saturday as drivers of West Bengal registered vehicles stopped plying to Sikkim, inconveniencing a large number of tourists.
Several Sikkim registered cars were damaged by anti-Gorkhaland protesters and the services of Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) from Siliguri was stopped.
SNT additional general manager (operations) H L Lamichaney said its buses were not plying today out of fear.
"Local drivers have threatened us that they will torch our vehicles if we carry on with our services. We will resume our service if West Bengal government provides security to our buses," Lamichaney said.
Sikkim-bound tourists were stranded at the SNT bus stand at Siliguri.
Gurung Threatens to Intensify Stir
The GJM, spearheading the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland, adopted a confrontationist stand today with its chief Bimal Gurung threatening to intensify the stir and demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged police firing in the hills on 17 June.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader, who was not seen in public for the past several days, appeared before the media at Patlebas in Darjeeling, a party stronghold.
"I am not Kishenji (Maoist leader) who can be eliminated in a police encounter. I have not taken up arms against the country. I am fighting for the identity of the Gorkhas and in a democracy I have every right to do that," he said.
Asserting that the strike will not end anytime soon, Gurung said,
"Centre Should Formulate New Policy for Creation of States"
National Federation of New States (NFNS), an umbrella body of various groups across the country fighting for separate states, said that the Centre should formulate a new policy for creation of new states.
"The demand for separate state is nothing new. But as the system of autonomy has failed, I think the time has come for the Central government to formulate a new policy for creation of new states," Munish Tamang, leader of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh and also the secretary of NFNS said.
The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh is a part of an all-India coordination committee in the hills that was formed this week to fight for Gorkhaland.
GJM Chief Resigns As GTA's Chief Executive
The 43 members of GJM resigned from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on Friday.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung has given up his post as the chief executive of GTA and has demanded a CBI inquiry into police firing on GJM supporters during the clash last week.
He said that the indefinite strike will continue and the all-party meeting will be held on 29 June.
School Students Evacuated
Students are being evacuated from schools during GJM’s 12-hour window, which will continue till 6 pm on Friday. Only school buses have been allowed to leave town during that period.
WB Govt Turned GTA Into a Farce: GJM
In a bid to step up their stir for a separate state in the Darjeeling Hills, 43 Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders have to quit the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on Friday.
He said the GTA has been turned into a “farce” by the West Bengal government and the GJM and the people of the hills will fight for the single agenda of a separate Gorkhaland.
In the 20 June meeting, all the 14 influential political parties and public organisations of the hills had unanimously declared their support for the longstanding demand for a separate Gorkhaland state in north Bengal.
The GJM has been ruling GTA since 2012 and its five-year term is set to expire this year.
GJM supremo Bimal Gurung, who is in hiding, will also put in his papers. A case was also lodged against Gurung and his wife on the basis of allegations that they were involved in the violence, arson and killing of one person during clashes on Saturday, a senior police official said.
Gorkhas Protest in Mumbai
Hundreds of Gorkhas living in Mumbai gathered at Azad Maidan on Thursday and expressed solidarity with the ongoing agitation in Darjeeling hills in West Bengal for a separate Gorkhaland state.
They also denounced the “repressive” tactics employed by the West Bengal government to end the agitation.
Almost five lakh Gorkhas live in Mumbai and hundreds of them, including women and children, assembled at Azad Maidan braving heavy rains.
Tea Industry to Face 40% Revenue Loss
The Darjeeling tea industry is expected to lose 20 percent of its premium quality annual production and 40 percent of its revenue due to the ongoing indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, say tea planters.
All plucking and manufacturing operations in the 87 gardens of the famed Darjeeling tea have been reported suspended since 9 June.
According to industry estimates, a direct loss of more than Rs 100 crore mostly in foreign exchange has already been incurred till date as leaf tea is an exportable product, and the industry is looking at a further indirect loss of Rs 150 crore approximately.
GJM Strike Enters Day 8
The GJM is spearheading the agitation for a separate state and its indefinite shutdown, which has paralysed normal life in the hills, entered its eighth day on Thursday.
Internet services remained cut off while all shops, except pharmacies, still had their shutters down. Vehicles were prohibited from leaving the area, because of which several tourists remain stranded in the city.
Meanwhile, the GJM has given a window of 12 hours for schools to evacuate their students on 23 June.
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(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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