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Gorkhaland supporters, police clash

Special Correspondent

15 people arrested, many injured
GJM calls for bandh in Darjeeling today

—Photo: PTI

Police lathicharge a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporter while he was trying to enter Siliguri city on Wednesday.

Kolkata: Violence flared up in the foothills of West Bengal’s Darjeeling district near Siliguri when supporters of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) clashed with the police on Wednesday.

Several persons were injured in the clash. Fifteen persons were arrested.

The GJM leadership is demanding creation of a Gorkhaland State, carved out of the hills and certain contiguous areas including Siliguri.

The GJM workers, accompanying a procession led by the All Gorkha Ex-Servicemen Morcha, which is also supporting the Gorkhaland demand, broke through a barricade and tried to march into Siliguri, when the police prevented them.

The police, who were attacked with bricks, burst teargas after baton charge failed to disperse the protesters, Inspector-General (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said here.

The local administration had refused permission for the procession in Siliguri on the ground that it could lead to a clash between communities, a district official said.

But the GJM leadership condemned the police action and called a 24-hour bandh in Darjeeling district for Thursday.

A bandh has also been called by the Kamtapur Progressive Party and supported by the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party. These parties are also demanding a separate State, carved out of districts in north Bengal and parts of Assam.

A GJM spokesman told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling that his party called for an indefinite shutdown of all offices of the Central and State Governments and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in the hills.

Without mentioning names, Biman Bose, secretary, State CPI(M) Committee, said some forces were attempting to destroy peace and harmony between the people of the plains and the hills. His party believed that the outstanding problems could be resolved through discussions between the Centre and the State.

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