The Hindu : Front Page : Stir for Gorkhaland affects life in Darjeeling

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Friday, Nov 23, 2007
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Stir for Gorkhaland affects life in Darjeeling

Special Correspondent

Kolkata: Life was affected in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal on Thursday following a 12-hour bandh call by the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha (GJMM) in support of its demand for a separate State of Gorkhaland in the region.

The bandh sponsors, however, decided against extending the bandh for another 84 hours as initially planned, claiming that the purpose of the agitation had been served with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee calling off his plan to visit the hills for a district meet of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) scheduled to begin from Friday.

The venue of the three-day meet of the CPI(M) district conference [that includes an open session], earlier planned to be held in Darjeeling, was shifted to Siliguri in view of the threat of a 96-hour bandh by the GJMM.

“We have scored a victory and our purpose of calling the 96-hour bandh has been served as the Chief Minister has decided not to visit the hills, now that the venue of the party meet has been shifted,” GJMM president Bimal Gurung told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling.

The GJMM is opposing the grant of Sixth Schedule status by the Centre to the Darjeeling hills region. “Our agenda is creation of a separate State and we shall continue out agitation till our aspirations are met,” Mr. Gurung said.

The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) led by Subash Ghisingh — the principal political party in the hills — opposed the bandh call. Mr. Ghisingh was a signatory as were the Centre and State government to the memorandum of settlement for Sixth Schedule status to the region.

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