GORKHALAND MOVEMENT: PEOPLE'S OPINION

Kolkata TV organized a live telecast from Chourastha on the opinion of hill people

Army on alert in Siliguri after violence over Gorkhaland demand

Darjeeling, June 12: The Army was alerted in Siliguri and adjacent areas after violent clashes today between Gorkhas and non-Gorkhas during a 48-hour bandh called by the little known Amra Bangali and backed by Jana Chetana, an outfit formed to oppose the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) demand for inclusion of Siliguri and areas of the Dooars in a separate state of Gorkhaland.
By afternoon, SSB border guards were out in many parts of Siliguri town and on its outskirts.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who was asked by Left Front partner CPI to “hold talks without pre-conditions” with the GJM, decided to call an all-party meeting on June 17 to discuss the Darjeeling crisis over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland.
Describing the Siliguri incidents as “a matter of the greatest anxiety”, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi urged people to do nothing “that will provoke violence”.
In New Delhi, the Union Home Ministry said it had moved nearly 1,000 Central paramilitary personnel to West Bengal to deal with the situation.
In Darjeeling, GJM chief Bimal Gurung slammed the ruling CPM for “trying to make another Nandigram of Siliguri and the foothills with its murderous cadres”.
“No one had ever seen either the Amra Bangali or Jana Chetana which are behind the bandh and the violence today. They are just a front for the CPM and Asok Bhattacharjee, West Bengal Minister who hails from Siliguri,” alleged Gurung, asking GJM supporters to remain calm.
Violence erupted in the Champasari area of Siliguri — it has a mixed population of Gorkhas, Bengalis, Biharis and others — after non-Gorkhas, especially traders hit by the GJM agitation, came out in strength and joined an Amra Bangali procession which began targeting Gorkhas, assaulting them.
Those who led the attacks claimed they were teaching the GJM a “lesson for harassing Bengali tourists” in the hills. Violence soon spread to areas like Pradhan Nagar, Sahidnagar, Bidhan Market and other pockets of the town. In Bagdogra, a Gorkha student’s motorcycle was smashed and set ablaze.
Taken aback by the attacks, the Gorkhas began grouping and hit back. Police had to teargas mobs at several places to try and restore order. As news of the attacks on Gorkhas reached Darjeeling, tension mounted and GJM activists called up their head office to check whether they should retaliate in the hills. But GJM leaders, including Bimal Gurung, told them not to resort to violence.
“Do not walk into Minister Asok Bhattacharjee’s trap,” Gurung told angry activists. “If the situation does not improve, we will send 50,000 volunteers to provide security to Gorkhas. We do not want to take the blame for communal violence in Darjeeling. The agitation for Gorkhaland should be fought peacefully, in a Gandhian way,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has asked the Prime Minister to intervene. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should personally intervene to resolve the problems in the Darjeeling hills permanently so that the people of Sikkim can lead a peaceful life without being put to difficulty due to bandhs on the National Highway which is the state’s sole road link with the rest of the country,” Chamling said in a letter to the PM.
CPM, Trinamool clash again, one killed
COOCH BEHAR: A college student was killed and several others were injured in a clash between supporters of CPM and Trinamool Congress at Nakkatigachh near Tufanganj in Cooch Behar district, police said. BSF personnel were deployed in the area. Fifteen people were arrested, police said. (Indian Express)

‘Apolitical’ bikers with a Left tilt

Siliguri, June 12: They came out in droves, zipping through the streets of Siliguri to enforce the bandh.
Not many months after Nandigram saw motorcycle brigades, Siliguri, too, witnessed the phenomenon today for the first time. However, unlike in Nandigram, the Siliguri bikers were neither hooded nor armed.
The bikers were not part of Amra Bangali, the outfit which had called today’s bandh, but supporters of a nascent organisation, Jana Jagaran, that has been formed to protest the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s call for statehood.
As soon as the bikers — spread out in batches of 50 to 60 throughout the town — spotted any vehicles coming down from the hills, they stopped the travellers and asked them to return. Only tourists were allowed to pass.
“We don’t want any disruption by the Morcha any longer,” said a member of the “brigade” who did not want to be named. “We are demonstrating to prove a point: we won’t tolerate the Morcha’s whimsical calls of indefinite bandhs any longer.”
It was supporters of this organisation that had stopped five trucks carrying supplies to the hills last night and ransacked them. “But it is important to remember that we are against Gorkhaland, not against the Gorkhas,” a “brigade” leader said.
The Jana Jagaran claims that it is an “apolitical” body of Siliguri citizens which will fight the Morcha’s statehood demand.
Emphasising the “apolitical” nature of the organi- sation, joint secretary Ashoke Kumar Hore said: “We have academics, critics, writers, doctors, and people from different walks of life in our committee who might have different political views.”
But 60 per cent of its committee members are either affiliated to the outfits of the CPM or associated with the party.
For instance, Malay Karanjai, the principal of the Siliguri College, is a member of the CPM-dominated West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association and veteran academician Haren Ghosh is a member of the West Bengal Democratic Writers and Artists’ Association, also known for its “intellectual ties” with the Left.
The Jana Jagaran held a meeting with state hill affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya today. “We agreed with the minister that we should make all efforts to bring peace and not provoke the situation,” said Hore.
But the outfit did not say whether supplies would be allowed to be taken to the hills tomorrow.(The Telegraph)

Bricks fly as bridge turns into battlefield

Siliguri, June 12: A brick-battle between two communities residing on either side of the Mahananada here almost spiralled out of control today before the administration imposed Section 144 to prevent the violence from turning ethnic.
Although it is not certain which side threw the first stone, a 300-strong crowd from Ganesh Ghosh Colony, opposed to Gorkhaland, was spotted on the First Mahananda Bridge around 12.30pm, heading for Bhanunagar, a Nepali dominated area (see map). Almost all of them were armed with catapults and sticks.
The Nepalis in Bhanunagar got ready to retaliate and soon stones rained from both sides on NH31. The 10 or so policemen posted on the bridge, who turned away the mob, were not spared either. The men in khaki gave chase to the attackers and burst three rounds of tear gas shells to disperse them.
The more determined in the crowd then left the bridge to cross the riverbed, which at some places had knee-deep water. Around 100 of them crossed over and the bank was soon dotted with the “armed men”. A hail of stones came down on the houses in Bhanunagar.
“Before I could realise anything, there was a sound of shattering glass and the windowpanes of my bedroom were gone,” said Dilmaya Dhungel, who stays in Bhanunagar.
A force from the Bhaktinagar police station in Jalpaiguri district then approached Bhanunagar. Accompanied by the supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, they managed to drive away the crowd, which ran for the river.
A second police contingent, led by the additional police supereintendent, Siliguri, Rajesh Yadav, marched towards Ganesh Ghosh Colony. Yadav and one of his men were injured when the mob threw stones at them before fleeing. The police then fired 27 rounds of teargas. By then the police had taken control of the bridge and the additional district magistrate of Siliguri, Paritosh Roy, declared Section 144 (unlawful assembly of four or more persons) in the area for an indefinite period.
K.L. Tamta, the inspector-general of police also reached the spot. “There had been some stray incidents and at least nine of our men were injured, but our well-timed intervention helped bring the situation under control,” he said.
Earlier in the day there had been a flare-up at Pradhannagar where some Morcha supporters allegedly opened some shops and put up their party flags. The enforcers of the bandh called by the Amra Bangali forced them to down shutters. Fearing a ransack, the shopowners downed shutters and brought down the Morcha flags. The police came a few minutes later and dispersed the mob. (The Telegraph)

SILIGURI STRIKES: IN PICTURES

All pictures taken from Himalaya Darpan

BEACON ONLINE REQUESTED TO RALLY INTERNATIONAL BENGALI COMMUNITY IN THE FAVOUR OF GORKHALAND

By Barun Roy
Dr. Sudip Ghosh, Professor Emeritus, South Carolina, USA has called for all parties in West Bengal to refrain from converting the Gorkhaland Movement into a communal affair. Dr. Ghosh in an interaction with Beacon Online said, “Bengalese all over the world have had a soft corner for Darjeeling Hills and are essentially lovers of the land, people and culture. To portray the fact that Bengalese own Darjeeling Hills is absurd to say the least. It is high time that Gorkhas who predominate in the Hills be given the Right to Self Determination.” Asked about the steps taken by the CPIM lead West Bengal Government, he said, “Buddhadev Bhattacharya must initiate dialogue with the GJM leaders but before that he must give up his ‘Bengal owns Darjeeling Hills’ perspective. In modern day democracy, Colonial attitudes must be shed. CPIM has failed in Nandigram and its policies should not lead to another Nandigram in the tranquil hills of Darjeeling. What is happening in the Dooars Terai is sad. People of both races, Bengalese, Nepalese and Kamtapuris who have lived peacefully for years should not be pitched against each other in armed struggles. The Communist Government at Kolkata might feel that this will weaken the Gorkhaland Movement, yet in reality it will instead break the very fabric of Bengal and indeed the whole of North East. I request all involved including the GJM leadership to calm the people, resolve immediate animosity and concentrate on negotiating with the Union Government at New Delhi. To read more visit:
http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/beacon-online-requested-to-rally-international-bengali-community-in-the-favour-of-gorkhaland/#comment-5965

Political unrest in the Darjeeling hills likely to affect the tea industry

The Tea industry in the Darjeeling hills suffered badly recording 30% slump in production in first and second flush teas since the beginning of the new season due to the Political unrest, reports Economic Times.
Senior official of the Darjeeling tea industry expressed the concern about the industry saying that it may suffer losses in 2008 if the movement of teas from gardens to trade destinations is stopped because of the political unrest.
Though the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has exempted the tea industry from the bandh, transport availability for carrying tea to the auction centres and warehouses has been hit by the bandh. Besides, if such sporadic unrest continues, it will be difficult for tea companies to smoothly carry out day-to-day operations; he stated
To compound matters, the monsoon has already hit Darjeeling. Once the rainy season commences, the Darjeeling tea industry starts producing rains teas, which fetch lower prices in the domestic and international markets. The movement of fertilizers and packaging materials to gardens and transportation of processed tea outside Darjeeling and Dooars have already taken a severe hit, courtesy the GJM shutdown. (myiris)

Army called out to patrol Siliguri streets

Kolkata/Siliguri (PTI): The Army was on Thursday called out to patrol streets of Siliguri and adjacent areas following attacks on local people, tourists and police by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha activists demanding a separate state.
As tension prevailed in various areas in north Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee called an all-party meeting on June 17 to discuss the Darjeeling crisis arising out of the Morcha's demand.
"I contacted the Army, discussed the situation with the authorities and asked them to patrol streets as early as possible in Siliguri and the vicinity," Bhattacharjee said at Writers' Buildings here.
Saying that an unrest was growing in Siliguri and its adjoining areas, he appealed to people there and all political parties to maintain peace and amity and not to indulge in violence.
"You have to maintain peace and harmony which is the need of the hour," Bhattacharjee said.
GJM supporters attacked tourists and policemen, injuring 28 people and damaged 16 vehicles last evening at Malbazar in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district, as two organisations observed a 48-hour bandh in this north Bengal town in Darjeeling district from on Thursday.
Twelve tourists, being escorted by Forest Department personnel from a forest bungalow at Chapramari in Jalpaiguri district, were attacked by armed GJM supporters at Khunia More, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife-II, Tapan Das said.
The GJM supporters torched one of the vehicles the tourists were travelling in and damaged the other and also attacked local people at Malbazar town and stoned the police when they intervened. (The Hindu)

GJM bandh: Army called in Darjeeling (Siliguri & Duars)

As the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha bandh takes violent turn, the administration has called in the Army to control the situation.There has been reports of police lathicharge and use of teargas against the stone-throwing anti-Gorkhaland picketers in Darjeeling.There were fresh tensions in Darjeeling on Monday where the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, who are demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland, called an indefinite bandh. The bandh was relaxed on Thursday so that the tourists who were stranded could leave the hill station.Over the last two days, there's been a virtual exodus of tourists from the popular hill station.But now, a 48-hour bandh has been called in Siliguri which is at the foothills. It has been called by a group opposed to the Gorkha movement.Now no vehicles are being allowed to go into Darjeeling from the plains.Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee has called an all-party meeting on June 17 to discuss the Darjeeling crisis arising out of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's demand for separate Gorkhaland state.

Redrawing the map of Gorkhaland

Joel Rai

An indefinite bandh in Darjeeling has fixed the focus once again on the issue of Gorkhaland. Joel Rai explains what’s behind the demand for a separate state and how the current demand differs from previous ones

There is an indefinite bandh in Darjeeling and tourists have been stranded. What is happening there?
The three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district—Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong—have been closed down for an indefinite period by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) as part of their agitation for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. The GJM, formed late in 2007, has revived the demand for Gorkhaland and has been holding protests and rallies in support of a state that is to be carved out of West Bengal.
•What is the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and who is leading it?
The GJM was formed by Bimal Gurung, earlier a councillor of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. He was a close associate of Subhas Ghising, president of the Gorkha National Liberation Force (GNLF). The two fell out in 2007 over the attempt to extend 6th Schedule status to Darjeeling. Under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, certain tribal-majority areas are given autonomy in administration. While the GNLF wanted the 6th Schedule status with enhanced powers for the Hill Council, the GJM desired full statehood. The Centre introduced the 6th Schedule to the Constitution Amendment Bills in Parliament in December 2007 but it was shelved.
•So where is Subhas Ghising and what has happened to the GNLF?
While the GNLF exists as a political organisation, almost its entire support base has moved to the GJM. After a visit to Kolkata in March this year, Ghising was barred from entering Darjeeling by the GJM until he resigned as caretaker administrator of the Hill Council. The term of the last Hill Council expired in 2004, and no elections were held thereafter. The West Bengal Government appointed Ghising as caretaker administrator, extending his term every six months until his resignation in March. Thereafter, Ghising has remained confined to his home in Darjeeling.
•What is behind the demand for Gorkhaland?
The demand for a separate administrative set-up for Gorkhas of India was first voiced in 1907, when the premier civil-society body of the Gorkhas, the Hillmen’s Association, asked the British for an administrative set-up separate from Bengal. In 1946, the then undivided Communist Party of India demanded that the Darjeeling areas be constituted in an entity called Gorkhastan. The GNLF took up the issue in a big way from 1986. All these demands considered the ethnic, cultural and linguistic distinctions between the populations of Darjeeling and the rest of West Bengal. Under the West Bengal administration, feel the Gorkhas, Darjeeling has not developed despite being a world-renowned centre for tea, tourism and education.
•What is different from this current demand for Gorkhaland and the one led by the GNLF?
There are two major turns that the current demand for a separate state has taken that distinguishes it from the earlier demand.
First, the map for the current Gorkhaland envisages not only the three hills subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, but also Siliguri and parts of the Dooars that fall in Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts in North Bengal, extending up to the River Sunkosh on the border with Bhutan. While the GNLF had included Dooars in its programme, it did not push for their inclusion in their map of Gorkhaland, a result of which was that when the DGHC formed only the hill subdivisions were included in it, leaving out chunks of the plains where large populations of Gorkhas reside. The GJM has managed not only to garner the support of Gorkhas in the plains, but also of the Adivasis, who form a substantial percentage of the population of the Dooars. This has created tensions between the Bengalis of Siliguri and the Gorkhas. The Bengali resistance to Siliguri’s inclusion in the agitation plans of GJM is lead by its local MLA and West Bengal Minister of Municipal Affairs Asok Bhattacharya. The Siliguri Municipality has already passed a resolution that it will fight all attempts to include Siliguri in the proposed state.
Second, unlike earlier, there is an intellectual push to the current demand for Gorkhaland. One of the impetus for a separate state of Gorkhas would be securing of their identity as Indians. Indian Gorkhas have long been misidentified as being citizens of Nepal and they feel that a state of their own will root them to India. The Gorkhaland of their imagination, therefore, does not only secure the economic development of the Darjeeling area but also the political identity of the over one crore Indian Gorkhas across the country.
• So are the Indian Gorkhas migrants from Nepal or where have they come from?
Indian Gorkhas have been residents of India for centuries. Under the Treaty of Sugauli in 1815, Nepal ceded an area of 18,000 sq km to the British. This territory constitutes what are today parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Darjeeling district. A treaty with Bhutan in 1860 brought the current Dooars areas in Bengal and Assam into British possession. The Gorkha population resident in these territories became part of British India then. The Gorkhas participated in the Freedom Movement with Gandhiji and also joined the Azad Hind Fauj in big numbers. The tune of India’s national anthem Jana Gana Mana was taken from an original composition by Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a Gorkha in the INA. Two Gorkhas, Damber Singh Gurung and Ari Bahadur Gurung were members of the Constituent Assembly. Ari Bahadur Gurung was a member of the drafting committee. He is a signatory to the first Constitution of India.
However, there are two groups of Gorkhas in India, the Indian Gorkhas and those who have come to India under the provisions of the 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Friendship that allows Nepalese citizens to come and work, buy property and settle in India without permits. Their presence in India has led to confusion about the nationality of Indian Gorkhas and they are often misidentified as Nepalese citizens. A separate state of Gorkhaland, they feel, will help seal their identity as Indians.
•What happens now?
West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said that there will be no official talks with the GJM so long as they continue to demand Gorkhaland. On its part, the GJM says it’s a separate state or nothing. The 1980s agitation saw violence that took a toll of 1,200 lives. Dialogue between the political organisations and the state and Centre looks like the only way out. (Indian Express)

ROSHAN GIRI ON GORKHALAND ISSUES

Why Gorkhaland? Since 1917 the issue of separate state and identity has been raised but why India is silent? Rosan Giri on the issues in Kolkata TV where Ashok Bhattachargee was also a participant.

Gorkha unrest cuts, tears & curls Darjeeling crop

Demand for Gorkhaland state leads to losses of Rs 4 crore per day across 87 estates
KOLKATA: Dhanraj Thapa, Biresh Bahadur, Rohit Gurung and Sonali Pawn are among the 80,000 labourers working in the 87 lush tea estates across Darjeeling.
But their livelihood has taken a backseat to their need for a separate Gorkhaland state. Their demand has hit the world’s ‘muscatel-flavoured finest teas’ hard. In the last few days, Darjeeling’s tea industry has suffered badly due to the agitation, losing an estimated Rs 4 crore a day.
Making matters worse is the fact that the best of Darjeeling-summer and second-flush tea —are produced in June. They command high prices in both domestic and global markets and comprise almost 25-30% of the total production of Darjeeling tea, 90% of which is exported.
Planters across Darjeeling, Dooars and the entire North Bengal belt, which churns out about 25% of the total tea produced in India, are a worried lot.
A planter from Darjeeling, who did not wish to be named, said the call for indefinite closure has sparked panic. “There seems to be no solution in sight. We anticipate huge losses... We are at the mercy of the government.”
Industry estimates say the Darjeeling tea industry would lose 25% of its best produce and 40-45% of revenues because of the current strife.
Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Group, the largest planter in Darjeeling owning 14 gardens, finds the situation untenable. “Business is badly hit. Indefinite closure of the district means dispatches would be impossible. There would be no rations and we can’t send samples to auctions.”(DNA)

GJM attacks tourists from city, 8 injured

JALPAIGURI: The violence in Darjeeling took a grisly turn on Wednesday evening when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters waylaid two groups of tourists from Kolkata near the Gorumara sanctuary and attacked them with choppers and iron rods, leaving eight badly injured. Among the victims are an elderly couple and four women. The attack marked a terrifying escalation of violence in the Gorkhaland stir. On Tuesday, GJM men smashed up buses but spared tourists. Within 24 hours, they turned fear into terror. Bimal Kumar Nandan (71) and wife Durgarani (59) clutched each other desperately as they were dragged out of their car and bashed up. The five others in their group were brutally assaulted. Their driver, a local, wasn’t spared either. Most of the victims are from Behala. Apart from the Nandan couple, five others were identified: Sarmishtha Das (27), Tapas Pal (26), Saikat Bakshi (29), Basanti Pal (45) and Saroj Sinha. This is the first-ever attack on tourists in the 25-year-old strife in the Hills. Even when the Gorkhaland agitation was at its peak in the 1980s, no non-Nepali person — not to speak of tourists — was harmed. The incident has sent shockwaves through the entire region, increasing anxiety among tourists who are still trapped. The 16-member team was returning from a trip to Chapramari forest in two cars when it ran into GJM activists at Khunia More on NH-31C at 6 pm. The GJM men, on their way back from Malbazar, were furious that tourists were moving around despite the strike and started pelting stones at them. One of the vehicles sped away. This angered them even more. Armed with iron rods and bhojalis, they attacked the second car. Windows were shattered, wounding the passengers. They were then dragged out of the vehicle along with the driver and assaulted. As the eight tourists lay bleeding on the highway, the GJM men set the car on fire and fled. By this time the other vehicle had managed to reach Lataguri. The panic-stricken tourists informed the resort owner, who called police and set off for Khunia More. The injured were taken to Mongolbari primary health centre at Chalsa and shifted to a hospital in Lataguri. The administration clamped Section 144 in Malbazar after the attack. IG (North Bengal) K L Tamta would only say that some tourists were “heckled and assaulted”. The situation is tense in several places in the Dooars. Warring groups have assembled and clashes could break out anytime. “It is shameful. Never before have tourists been attacked in the Dooars,” said DFO (wildlife-II) Tapas Das.

Distant thunder Wider implications of the Darjeeling bandh

The storm clouds over Darjeeling become still more menacing with the Chief Minister ruling out negotiations on the statehood demand. Of course that decision eventually devolves on the Centre, but the state authorities have scarcely realised that aside from directing the ineffectual Subhas Ghisingh to step down, governance has been in a limbo since February this year. There has not been a semblance of an effort either by the state or the Centre to address the emotive grievances. There has been much too much of negativism ~ the stalling of the Sixth Schedule being the latest ~ and far too little of positive action towards a settlement. By assuring increased autonomy and yet convincing the Prime Minister that this precise piece of legislation ought to be kept in abeyance, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has managed to ensure that the hills are all of a tremble even without a tremblor. In the short term, the hapless will have to be brought back; in the long term the contentious issues can simmer.Almost matching the state’s indifference towards the hills has been the unconcern of the Centre, the latter with a decidedly more critical role to play in the future of a region whose people will settle for nothing less than statehood. It is a commentary on official insensitivity to the problems of Darjeeling that the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has rather ironically chosen a particularly lucrative period of the calendar to buttress what it calls the “ultimate struggle”. On the face of it, the tourists are at the receiving end ~ a strategy intended to serve as a wake-up call for the government. Yes, but only to an extent. The morcha has called an indefinite bandh, acutely aware that it can turn out to be a self-inflicted wound. The shutdown will wreck the hotel and transport industry at the peak of summer tourism. The morcha activists are involved with these two segments, both terribly important for the local economy. It is a conscious decision to reinforce sub-regionalism to the extent that it will harm the business interests of this ethnic group. On the economic front, only the tea gardens and cinchona plantations have been kept out of the purview.Neither the state nor the Centre appear to have grasped the wider implications of the indefinite shutdown. A closed Darjeeling can be incalculably more disastrous for the locals than for the hordes out on a holiday. It is a desperate move of a people whose patience has been sorely tried over the past two decades. (The Statesman)

GJM relaxes indefinite bandh in Darjeeling for few hours

Siliguri, Jun 11 (PTI) As the indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills entered its second day today, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha declared a 15-hour relaxation to enable locals to stock food and essential commodities.
The relaxation, from 0300 pm onwards today, was announced by GJM President Bimal Gurung at a public meeting at Mal in Darjeeling town.
A GJM source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the relaxation period might be extended further as a crisis in food and essential commodities was already being felt in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
If the bandh was resumed from tomorrow, the spontaneous support that the GJM enjoyed, might be affected, the source said.
A meeting of the GJM central committee would meet in the evening to evaluate the situation and take “practical decisions”, the source said.
Gurung, meanwhile, said that a memorandum had been faxed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing deployment of the CRPF in Darjeeling, “which will lead to panic” among the locals.
GJM General Secretary, Roshan Giri told PTI that his party had rejected the call of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to give up its demand for creation of a separate state of Gorkhland.
“Gorkhaland is our demand. There is no question of giving it up. We are open for talks provided Gorkhaland is on the agenda for discussion,” he said over telephone from Darjeeling.
Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said around 10,000 tourists had departed from the hill station yesterday and only 100 to 150 visitors were left. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, K L Tamta said the six companies of CRPF to be deployed in the hills, were yet to arrive at Siliguri.
He said even though the GJM supporters blocked the road to Assam passing through the Dooars region for two hours before dispersing, the situation was peaceful, .
Sikkim continued to remain cut off for the second consecutive day, with GJM supporters picketting the National Highway 31A, the sole link between Gangtok and the rest of the country, Tamta said. PTI UBR PC VU 06111736 DEL (Beacononline)

GJM crumbles on popular pressure calls off Indefinite strike until Saturday evening

BREAKING STORY!
Darjeeling: After a marathon meeting, the Central Committee of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to call off the Indefinite Strike starting today 6pm until Saturday 6 pm. The decision was taken over mounting pressure from people and citizen’s group requesting Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership to allow people to prepare themselves for the long strikes and shut downs. Hotel Owners have lamented that if the Strike was to be as suddenly called off as it was called for, why had the tourists been forced to leave the hills. There were no clarifications from the leadership. However, Bimal Gurung, GJM President lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer.lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer. (Becon online)

Darjeeling Bandh

Bishal "Kirat" Rai:

I understand and do agree that most of the people from Darjeeling Hill live by daily earnings and it would be really hard time for them to face these Strikes. Darjeeling totally depends on tourism and telling the tourist to leave Darjeeling for upcoming indefinite strikes would sound some more difficult.

GJM has always tried to bond the Gorkha people all around world. GJM’s main motive to unite the Gorkha people and safeguard their interest where they are in minority. There are lots of Gorkha people in Naxalbari, wherein they have been socially, politically, educationally, boycotted.

GJM took the initiative to unite them and thought of making them socially, politically, educationally conscious.

GJM took several initiatives to hold a “Workshop” in Naxalbari. However, the permission was denied by the West Bengal Government ruled by CPI (M), who is totally against the up-liftment of Gorkhali community.

There are several evidences that GJM had requested for permission which was denied several times – The reason for denial is – “Security Concerns”

Two words - Security Concerns

How can Gorkhali people say that they are safe in West Bengal when they cant provide security to mere 1,000 people when they want to hold a workshop for social awareness.
Quite amazing we are in West Bengal.

Now coming to the point again :

As GJM had requested for the permission to hold Workshop on Gorkhaland. The permission was denied.

The only alternative was Dharna (bhok hartal) in non-violent way. No, one was accused, it was just a bhok hartal.

Now, these people where on Bhok Hartal were physically assaulted, man handled, attacked with latthis, stones and were the victim of abusive languages.
These people on Dharna (Bhok Hartal) were attacked by the so called NGO grouped backed by CPI(M) and local administration.

Now …The only democratic (non violent) way left in the hands of GJM was Strike.

NB : the only way to protest in a non-violent way in INDIA is Strike.

Tourist in Darjeeling and Sikkim were given enough time (36 hours) to leave Darjeeling so that they do not face any inconvenience. Tourists were explained the cause of the Strike and the people of Darjeeling requested these tourists to visit Darjeeling again. Some of the tourists were interviewed and they expressed that they would prefer to come Darjeeling again. These tourists were not at all harassed by the people of Darjeeling.

Most of the tourist understood the need of Gorkhaland. Some, of them even took part in meetings organized by the people of Darjeeling.

Just because of this legitimate Strike – All the leading News Papers and News Channels (National and International) have reported about Darjeeling’s demand Gorkhaland.

The News Channels that reported about Gorkhaland in India are as follows :

Aaj Tak – Leading News Channel.
IBN 7
India TV
Times Now
NDTV
Zee News
News 24
BBC World

To name few News Papers that covered the demand of Gorkhaland after this strike are :

Hindustan Times (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Hindustan– Hindi (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Times of India (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
The Telegraph – West Bengal
Metro Now – Delhi
The Statesmen – West Bengal
The Pioneer - (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Punjab Kesari – Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh
The Hindu -(Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Indian Express (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Mail Today - Delhi
Jan Satta – Delhi
Nav Bharat Times –Delhi
Dainik Jagaran – Delhi
Deccan Chronicle - (Delhi, West Bengal, Chennai, Mumbai)
Anand Bazar Partika - (Delhi, West Bengal)
Amar Ujjala – Delhi
Dainik Bhaskar – Delhi


This speaks a small Success Story to begin with.

This News has brought attention to the Movement and from this that we must carry on forward.

Gorkhaland movement in its present avatar is different from the earlier one. There are lots of intellectuals involved in the movement.

The difference people find between Subash Ghising and Bimal Gurung is :

Subash Ghising never wanted intellectuals to be a part of his movement. However, Bimal Gurung is opposite. He wants all the intellectuals to be part of his movement.


Bimal Gurung is the one and only person who initiated second Phase for Gorkhaland
Bimal Gurung is the only person who braved to go against all the odds.
Bimal Gurung is the only person who risked his Life to Challenge the so called undisputed leader of the Hills
Bimal Gurung is the One who unified a Dispersed Diaspora of Dreamers and Lovers of Gorkhaland.

Bimal Gurung is the One who Inspires people of all walks of life to join this Movement; he is the One who bears the brunt of all misgivings.

Today he qualifies to stand tall to lead the people for achieving Gorkhaland and we should (though I would prefer to use the word ‘must’ here) support him. Right from the day he declared this movement, he has said that he does not aspire to seek to occupy a ‘Chair’ - let us believe him at least for now as the ‘Chair’ is far away at this present juncture.

Let’s support the one and only solution of Darjeeling - GORKHALAND.

Furthermore, I would request to every one to educate the people and the Media with the necessity of Gorkhaland wherever it may be – be it in India or abroad.

The legitimate need of Gorkhaland needs your support and publicity and it is first our responsibility to educate our fellow citizens about this - so please write about the necessity of the Creation of Gorkhaland.

This could be one of the greatest ways in which you could make your contribution.
So Gorkhas Go Ahead - Pen is Mightier than the Sword.
Jai Gorkha. Jai Gorkhaland. Jai Hind.

DARJEELING BANDH: HIMALAYA DARPAN

DARJEELING BANDH: HIMALAYA DARPAN

Gurkha strike for separate state halts life, tourist trade in eastern India

Tens of thousands of tourists were stranded in the tea-growing region of eastern India on Tuesday after a Gurkha separatist group called a strike to press its demand for an independent state, shutting down hotels, shops and roads.
The Gurkha Janamukti Morcha wants a state for ethnic Gurkhas in the hill areas around Darjeeling in West Bengal state.
Advertisement All shops and businesses were closed Tuesday in Darjeeling and nearby towns, an area famous for its tea and cool climate, a strong draw in India's scorching summer. Roughly 40,000 tourists were rushing to leave the area after the Gurkha group asked them to go home as soon as possible, said Raj Kanojia, a senior state police official.
The newly formed separatist group's general secretary, Roshan Giri, said it would help with travel arrangements, but prospects appeared difficult with all public transport staying off the roads.
“We are stuck here with our kids,” said Sanjay Singh, an Indian tourist on vacation with his family. “We want to get out earliest but there is no transport.”
There was no reported violence, said Raj Kanojia, a senior state police official.
Giri said the strike would continue until the government “accepts our demand for a separate state.”
The state government dismissed the group's wishes.
“A separate state is out of the question,” said state minister Asok Bhattcharya. “They need to settle down and agree to discuss and negotiate.”
Gurkhas are an ethnic group in northern India and Nepal who are famed for their fighting prowess and bravery. They began serving as soldiers loyal to Britain in 1815 in India. When India gained independence from Britain in 1947, they became part of the British army and have received accolades for fighting around the world.
The Gurkhas, under a separate group, the Gurkha National Liberation Front, fought for an independent state in the 1980s and were granted some autonomy, which allows them control over local village councils and sales taxes. But key areas such as finance and security remain controlled by the West Bengal state government.
Leaders of the Gurkha Janamukti Morcha said those concessions were not enough.
“We will not settle for anything less than a separate state this time,” said Bimal Gurung, the group's president. (signonSandiego)

First hints of bandh withdrawal

Statesman News Service KURSEONG, June 10: Having brought life to a standstill in the Darjeeling hills, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha organised a public meeting at Kurseong today. The first indication of a relaxation in the bandh soon, also came today. Addressing the meeting, the GJMM chief, Mr Bimal Gurung urged the people of the hills to have patience for the greater cause of Gorkhaland. He also assured to fetch the Gorkhaland state by 10 March, 2010. Cautioning party supporters against individual political ambition Mr Gurung said that the movement launched by the GJMM is the last battle and “ we shall achieve our target by hook or by crook.”Stating that the party would relax the bandh sometime soon to minimise the inconvenience of the people, the GJMM president said: “The GJMM is against communal tension between Bengalis and the Nepalis.Our fight is for our land and the Bengali community living in the plains should understand this. Our fight is not against the Bengalis, it is against the state government.”Social activist Ms Medha Patkar, who was supposed to attend the rally, could not reach Kurseong today.

Thousands of tourists hit by Darjeeling unrest

By Andrew Buncombe in DelhiWednesday, 11 June 2008
Tens of thousands of tourists were left stranded in India's main tea-growing region yesterday as ethnic Gurkhas demanding their own state announced an indefinite general strike and closed down the entire area.
All shops and businesses were shut in Darjeeling, one of the main hill stations in the area, and up to 40,000 holidaymakers were struggling to find a way home after the leaders of a Gurkha political movement asked them to leave immediately.
The Gurkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) wants to break away from the state of West Bengal and establish a state for Gurkhas, similar to neighbouring Sikkim, which would be called Gurkhaland.
The group claims the state government in Calcutta has done nothing to help the "hill people" and that only by dealing directly with federal authorities in Delhi will the situation improve. "We will not settle for anything less than a separate state this time," said the BJM president, Bimal Gurung.
Tourism is a vital source of income for the breathtakingly scenic but economically depressed area. In recent years, local authorities have been promoting "tea tourism" to lure foreigners and Indian visitors to visit and stay in upmarket hotels on tea estates.
The Gurkhas, an ethnic group from north-eastern India and Nepal, are renowned for their fighting skills. Since 1815, they have served as soldiers in the British Army.
The campaign for an independent Gurkha state gathered pace in the 1980s when 1,200 people died in violence surrounding the breakaway effort and the subsequent suppression by state authorities. Peace was eventually secured by the creation of the Darjeeling Gurkha Hill Council, a body which was supposed to provide a degree of autonomous rule for the Gurkhas. But in the 20 years since the creation of the DGHC, many people have apparently become dissatisfied with the Gurkha politicians involved, particularly Subash Ghisingh, who led the Gurkha National Liberation Front (GNLF).
Last year, the newly-created BJM – a breakaway from the GNLF – drew publicity during the television talent show Indian Idol when a Delhi radio presenter described the ethnic Nepali winner as a chowkidar or caretaker, a term of abuse for people from north-east India. While the station subsequently apologised, Mr Gurung seized on the moment and made it a rallying cry for his party, whose popularity soared.
Yesterday, thousands of Mr Gurung's supporters took to the streets, waving his party's green, white and yellow flag and chanting: "We want Gurkhaland." No violence was reported.
Dr Rajat Ganguly, an expert on Gurkha nationalism at Australia's Murdoch University, said there was a lot of history behind the strike. "People [in the area] feel as though the GNLF has become co-opted by the West Bengal government," he said. "Over the last 20 years there has been no accountability. The BJM has tapped into that frustration. What has surprised me is the timing of this strike. This is happening right in the middle of the tourist season and yet they are telling people to pack up and leave ... when they need every dollar."
State authorities in Calcutta ruled out full autonomy for the Gurkhas. "A separate state is out of the question," said Asok Bhattcharya, State minister.
The tea capital
Darjeeling, the former summer capital of British India, has exploited its reputation as the home of Indian tea to attract the tourist trade. Tourists explore tea estates and enjoy tea tasting sessions in the verdant hills. A Himalayan "toy train" provides breathtaking views as it runs along a narrow track between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. The area is also a trekking centre. Historically, Darjeeling was the summer capital until 1911, when the capital was moved to Delhi from Calcutta. During the Second World War, the hill resort was used as a convalescence centre for British and American soldiers because of the cool weather in summer. (The Independent)

Darjeeling on the boil, again, CM hardens his stand

Kolkata, June 10 Hundreds of tourists were trying to head out of Darjeeling in West Bengal as the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland, enforced an indefinite bandh, shutting down the hills and leaving an estimated 10,000 plus stranded in the plains. Sikkim was also cut off with GJM supporters blocking the arterial National Highway 31A.
Violence was reported from neighbouring Jalpaiguri district and at least 350 people were arrested. Authorities said a special train would ply from New Jalpaiguri railway station to Howrah tonight. Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said most tourists began leaving Darjeeling yesterday. Transport was off the roads in the hills.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said the GJM must give up its demand for Gorkhaland. “Tripartite or bipartite talks are possible only if they give up their demand for a separate state. Until then no talks are possible,” he told reporters in Kolkata.
Bhattacharjee said he had suggested more autonomy with administrative and financial powers for the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council during his recent talks with the GJM. The council manages the administration in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong hill sub-divisions.
“Barring the statehood demand, we are prepared to discuss with them any other issue,” he said. A majority of people in Dooars, Terai and Siliguri — which the GJM has demanded be included in Gorkhaland — are opposed to the statehood demand, he said.
At Kalchini, about 60 agitators attacked a police jeep and assaulted the driver. They also blocked roads at Kalchini, Odlabari, Birpara and Nagrakata. Police cleared road blocks at Birpara. GJM general secretary Roshan Giri claimed that CPM activists beat up party supporters at Birpara and Kalchini, ransacked a GJM office and set afire some motorcycles.
Tourists felt the brunt of the latest GJM showdown with the state. Despite earlier assurances by GJM leaders that they would be “completely safe” in the hills, tourists were running from pillar to post, desperate to leave Darjeeling.
An estimated 40,000 tourists were present in Darjeeling and Sikkim on Monday, the numbers high as this is the last week of summer vacations in most schools and colleges.
In Darjeeling, tourists have been on the move since last night. Taxi drivers who usually charge Rs 1500-2000 for a trip to Siliguri were demanding up to Rs 6,000.
“We have to charge double as once we reach Siliguri, we won’t get passengers on the way back. We are doing good business on the Siliguri-Kolkata sector. This morning, we sold 50 bus tickets for Kolkata,” said Pradeep Saha of Hill Queen Tours in Siliguri.
Police assisted tourists in reaching Siliguri where hotels ran out of rooms quickly.
“We refused at least 100 walk-in guests. People checked in at odd hours of the night,” said Vikash Kothari, Regional Director, Sinclairs Group. Authorities at Mainak Hotel faced the same problem.
Many tourists had to spend the night at the bus terminus or the railway station.
The Sikkim Tourism Department arranged for transfer of tourists to Siliguri in Army vehicles.
“Tourist vehicles are not being allowed beyond Melli. The Sikkim Tourism Department is trying to negotiate with GJM activists to lift the picketing at Melli. But I don’t think vehicles will be allowed to cross Melli for another 24 hours,” said Gyamsko Bhutia, Tourist Officer of the Sikkim government.
Tour operators in Kolkata also took a hit as many cancelled plans to visit the hills. Tourism Minister Manabendra Mukherjee said: “Many people in Darjeeling and Sikkim survive on tourism. This kind of an indefinite strike will result in heavy losses. The West Bengal government has arranged for additional trains and buses for stranded tourists.”
About ten companies of the central security forces were rushed to Darjeeling today.
Six of these would be deployed in the hills and four in the foothills in Siliguri and other sensitive areas of the plains,accoriding to a senior police official.
The state home secretary, A.M.Chakrabarty when contacted said that the state had asked for adequate central forces in view of the recent developments. (Expressindia)

GJM rejects Buddhadeb’s condition

“Our demand for a separate state should be the sole issue in future discussions”
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Tuesday that talks could be held with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leadership only if it dropped its demand for a separate state.
The GJM was demanding a state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of the Darjeeling hills and certain areas contiguous to it.
An indefinite bandh in the region called by the party to highlight the demand brought normal life to a virtual standstill in the hills resulting in an exodus of tourists from there. There were also reports of stray incidents of violence in some parts of the Dooars where the bandh was observed.
“We are prepared for discussions — whether they be tripartite or bipartite — but only if they drop the demand for a separate state and I repeat my appeal to the GJM leaders to do so,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.Bandh to continue
The GJM leadership rejected the condition and said the bandh that had first been called for a day on Monday but subsequently extended indefinitely would continue.
“Our demand for a separate state should be the sole issue in future discussions with the Centre and the State Government,” Roshan Giri, GJM general secretary, told The Hindu over telephone from the Darjeeling hills.
The demand was “unacceptable” and could not be entertained, Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front committee and Secretary of the West Bengal Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said.
The Chief Minister expressed concern over developments in the hills in the wake of the bandh call. “What is happening there at this moment should not go on…Besides government offices becoming non-functional, tourists — both domestic and foreign — are being greatly inconvenienced and we are doing our utmost to bring them down from the hills,” he said.
The GJM leadership had on Monday asked all tourists in the hills to leave within two days following the bandh call.Tea gardens
Mr. Bhattacharjee regretted that there were threats of closing down tea gardens. “Work in the tea gardens could be affected at a time when the season for plucking of leaves takes place,” he said.
The State government had also contacted the Centre and informed it of the developments in the hills after receiving a message from the Sikkim Government urging for action as the roads leading to that State were closed to traffic by bandh supporters. These roads pass through the Darjeeling hills.
Mr. Bhattacharjee said that at a previous meeting with GJM leaders he had assured them that his government was willing to grant greater administrative and financial powers to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). It was also pointed out to them then that their plans to include Siliguri, Terai and the Dooars within the ambit of their agitation could not be supported as that went against the wishes of a majority of people in these areas.
“The GJM leaders were told that there is no reason why the people of the hills and the plains should not co-exist as they have been doing so all along for the sake of peace and development in the region,” the Chief Minister said. (The Hindu)

Gorkha supporters attack tourist bus near Darjeeling

SILIGURI/DARJEELING: In the hills, a total shutdown. In the plains, complete chaos. And in the Dooars, an area just below Darjeeling Hills, widespread violence. By Tuesday evening, there was more grim news — the first attack on tourists. Gorkha Janamukti Morcha supporters, demanding a separate state be carved out of West Bengal for Nepali-speakers, stopped a bus of tourists being evacuated from Darjeeling at Kalijhora and pelted them with stones. The attack came within 24 hours of GJM's diktat to visitors to get out of Darjeeling. Clashes also broke out in regions bordering Bhutan as those opposed to the sudden shutdown took on GJM supporters bent on enforcing the indefinite bandh. A GJM party office was attacked in Birpara and supporters beaten up. GJM men at the receiving end in Hamiltongunj too. In retaliation, Gorkhaland supporters carried out attacks on anti-bandh activists at Kalchini (in the Dooars) and Salugara on the outskirts of Siliguri. With the situation spiralling out of control, the Darjeeling administration sent an SOS to the state government for paramilitary forces. The government, however, is giving the GJM a long rope. Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb said, "The government prefers to wait and watch." He scotched speculation that the state was calling in the army. Caught in the turmoil, thousands of tourists clambered on whatever vehicle they could find and reached Siliguri exhausted and bleary-eyed. Hundreds more are still stranded in Darjeeling and Sikkim. Efforts are being made to bring them to Siliguri. The state government arranged for a special train (that left Siliguri late Tuesday night) and 15 buses to ferry the stranded to Kolkata. The Darjeeling district administration claimed to have evacuated 90% of the tourists. Even in Siliguri, the tourists have little respite. The town that serves as little more than a look-by for tourists en route to Darjeeling collapsed under the pressure. Hotels were overbooked and people were stranded at New Jalpaiguri railway station and the bus stand. Even the normally sleepy Bagodgra airport saw massive queues. The situation turned grim in the Dooars in the morning when 2,000 GJM supporters blocked NH-31 at Birpara. Police used batons to break them up. Anti-bandh supporters then stormed a GJM party office and set it on fire. GJM supporters went berserk after the attack and ransacked several houses. At Hamiltongunj near Hasimara, the two groups clashed again, leaving a policeman among those injured. In Kalchini, shopkeepers refused to pull down their shutters when a group of bandh-enforcers told them to. The altercation turned into a pitched battle. The pattern was repeated in some other areas including Salughara. There was a total bandh in all three sub-divisions — Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong. Even tea gardens were closed (here the bandh is for two days). So were banks, college, schools, offices. Hotels empty. The only vehicles that moved were those ferrying panic-stricken tourists to Siliguri. Even trains were stopped in the early part of the day. Any hope of a quick resolution faded on Tuesday. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said talks would be held only if GJM set aside its demand for a separate state. "Whatever is going on there should not continue. When they (GJM representatives) came to meet me I told them that I was all for granting greater autonomy to Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council. I am willing to increase DGHC's financial and administrative powers, but not a separate state." (Times Of India)

Indefinite bandh in Darjeeling

THE SITUATION in the hills of Darjeeling is turning serious, bringing back memories of the tumultuous period over two decades ago when the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland was raised for the first time. The Gorkha Mukti Morcha, which has revived the demand for a separate state, has called for an indefinite bandh in the hills as of June 10 (Tuesday). Tourists have been asked to leave by today evening even as the state minister for urban development Asok Bhattacharya went on record saying he suspected the involvement of a foreign hand in the restlessness in the hills.
The bandh, which was called for a day on June 9 (Monday) and had kept transport and tea gardens out of its purview, was extended to an indefinite one later.
Fresh tension was triggered off after a clash between Morcha activists and members of two NGO's Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetana in Bihar More on National Highway-31 in the outskirts of the foothill town of Siliguri on Sunday, prompting the Morcha to call a bandh and then extend it to an indefinite one. Contrary to earlier assurances that tourists would be kept out of the purview of the bandh, Morcha president Bimal Gurung asked tourists to leave the hills. According to media reports, there are about10, 000 tourists in the hills with the summer vacations on. Darjeeling and the hill sub divisions of Kurseong and Kalimpong depend on a great extent on the revenue generated by tourism with hundreds of hotels dotting the picturesque places. The bandh, especially in summer, will deal a crippling blow to tourism and many who depend on tourists for their earnings in the hills.
The minister said in Kolkata on Monday that the Morcha was trying to create a situation akin to what had been done in Assam. Bhattacharya who is a legislator from the Siliguri constituency reiterated the Left Front government's rejection of the demand for a separate state.
The clash on June 8 (Sunday) has raised fears that the situation could spin out of control and become a hills-plains conflict with ethnic overtones. On Sunday at around 9.30am about 50-odd Morcha supporters blocked National Highway-31 protesting against the decision of the administration not to allow meetings in Naxalbari. The blockade on the busy road lined with shops and establishments inconvenienced people and after a couple of hours, traders asked the Morcha activists to leave.
Soon after 25 members of an NGO called Jana Chetana arrived and began shouting anti Gorkhaland and anti Morcha slogans. A police contingent keeping an eye on the blockade dispersed the Jana Chetana members. They however, reappeared in greater numbers and clashed with Morcha activists. The police resorted to firing tear gas and lathi charged the crowd. Sixteen people were injured.
At about the same time in Naxalbari, members of another NGO called Jana Jagaran clashed with Morcha activists who were into an indefinite hunger strike. Section 144 of the CrPc was imposed in the area. Later violence spread to other areas like Bagdogra and Panighatta.
That the trouble brewing in Darjeeling is worrying the Centre was evident during the weekend, when the information and broadcasting minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmnshi said in Kolkata that the Centre wanted the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to work towards a consensus on steps needed to resolve the Darjeeling issue. Dasmunhsi indicated that the Centre was not ready to start a dialogue with the Morcha at this juncture but would want the state government to come up with a solution after consulting all the political parties. The minister said more autonomy and additional powers could be given to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) in keeping with the provisions of the Constitution while maintaining the territorial integrity of the state of West Bengal. Dasmunshi is expected to meet the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and brief him on the situation in Darjeeling. (merinews)

Thousands of tourists stranded in "tea country" by ethnic protests

Darjeeling and other districts of western Bengal are paralyzed by a strike of the ethnic Gorkha party. They are asking for the creation of an independent state, and are accusing the ruling Marxists of aggression. There are not even enough vehicles available to take tourists to the airport.
New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Thousands of tourists have been stranded by the sudden strike that has paralysed "tea country": the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong in the northern part of western Bengal. The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) party says that the protest is in response to the aggression committed against some of its members by supporters of the ruling Marxist party.
About 50 supporters of the GJM were occupying a highway leading to Darjeeling, in protest over the ban against holding a public meeting in Naxalbari, when they were allegedly attacked "without provocation". The GJM also denounces other acts of aggression, while the communists deny any involvement.
Roshan Giri, secretary of the GJM, explains that "we are forced to call this indefinite strike because we have lost all faith in the West Bengal government", which he accuses of "stopping us from holding rallies peacefully, they are trying to provoke an ugly situation". The GJM is asking for a separate state for the Gorkha ethnicity, and says the strike will continue until it obtains one. The Gorkhas, of Nepalese origin and language, are in the majority in Darjeeling, but are a minority in the state compared to the Bengalese and Hindi.
The sudden strike has stranded thousands of tourists in the three districts, left without enough vehicles to take them to the airport. Darjeeling, famous for its tea and for its natural beauty, is a common destination for foreign tourists.
During the 1980's, the demands of the Gorkhas erupted into guerrilla warfare, but in the end they settled for greater administrative autonomy. But in 2007, the GJM was formed, and resumed demands for independence. Also in 2007, violent ethnic protests led to the imposition of a curfew. (Asianews)

Gurkha strike for separate state halts life, tourist trade in eastern India

Tens of thousands of tourists were stranded in the tea-growing region of eastern India on Tuesday after a Gurkha separatist group called a strike to press its demand for an independent state, shutting down hotels, shops and roads.
The Gurkha Janamukti Morcha wants a state for ethnic Gurkhas in the hill areas around Darjeeling in West Bengal state.
All shops and businesses were closed Tuesday in Darjeeling and nearby towns, an area famous for its tea and cool climate, a strong draw in India's scorching summer. Roughly 40,000 tourists were rushing to leave the area after the Gurkha group asked them to go home as soon as possible, said Raj Kanojia, a senior state police official.
The newly formed separatist group's general secretary, Roshan Giri, said it would help with travel arrangements, but prospects appeared difficult with all public transport staying off the roads.
"We are stuck here with our kids," said Sanjay Singh, an Indian tourist on vacation with his family. "We want to get out earliest but there is no transport."
There was no reported violence, said Raj Kanojia, a senior state police official.
Giri said the strike would continue until the government "accepts our demand for a separate state."
The state government dismissed the group's wishes.
"A separate state is out of the question," said state minister Asok Bhattcharya. "They need to settle down and agree to discuss and negotiate."
Gurkhas are an ethnic group in northern India and Nepal who are famed for their fighting prowess and bravery. They began serving as soldiers loyal to Britain in 1815 in India. When India gained independence from Britain in 1947, they became part of the British army and have received accolades for fighting around the world.
The Gurkhas, under a separate group, the Gurkha National Liberation Front, fought for an independent state in the 1980s and were granted some autonomy, which allows them control over local village councils and sales taxes. But key areas such as finance and security remain controlled by the West Bengal state government.
Leaders of the Gurkha Janamukti Morcha said those concessions were not enough.
"We will not settle for anything less than a separate state this time," said Bimal Gurung, the group's president. (International Herald tribune)

Tourists leave Darjeeling due to strike, GJM supporters arrested

Photos by Barun (beacononline)

SILIGURI: The indefinite bandh called in Darjeeling hills by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) led to an exodus of tourists on Tuesday and leaving over 10,000 stranded in the plains. Stray violence was reported from neighbouring Jalpaiguri district and at least 350 people were arrested. The GJM had called for the bandh to press their demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Authorities said a special train will ply from New Jalpaiguri railway station to Howrah on Tuesday night. Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said most tourists started leaving Darjeeling on Monday. Transport was off the roads in the hills. The shutdown also cut off Sikkim with GJM supporters blocking the arterial national highway 31A. Over 350 GJM supporters were arrested from different parts of Jalpaiguri district after clashes with local people and police. Many were injured when a 1,000-strong mob blocked the road at Nagrakata and forcibly downed shutters of shops. (times Of India)

Shutdown for Gorkhaland cripples life in Darjeeling

(Photos: By Barun: darjeeling on 11th June (himalayanbeacononline)

Life came to a standstill in West Bengal's hill district of Darjeeling with a shutdown from Tuesday morning called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) demanding a separate Gorkhaland state for the region.
According to reports, the shutdown received a good response as all shops, markets and business establishments remained closed.
“The indefinite shutdown is continuing in the hills but there are no reports of any major untoward incident so far,” West Bengal Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.
All three sub-divisions, Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, and some areas of Dooars observed the shutdown.
Kanojia said there were some local agitations at Birpara in Dooars.
The GJM called a 24-hour shutdown on Monday to protest an alleged attack on its members by supporters of the state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and members of other political outfits at Naxalbari when they were taking out a peaceful rally there on Sunday.
An exodus of tourists also began from the Queen of Hills as the new shutdown took effect from Tuesday morning. Over a thousand tourists were halted near the Teesta Bridge in northern West Bengal while returning from Sikkim.
“We are stuck here with our kids and family. We want to get out of this trouble but there is no adequate transport available. We want to request the state administration to make necessary arrangements for the tourists who are facing harrowing time here due to the strike,” said Supriyo Dey, a tourist in Darjeeling.
Police sources said thousands of GJM supporters staged a demonstration in front of the Birpara police station in Dooars.
The GJM, led by its president Bimal Gurung, has been spearheading a movement in the hills for a separate state and also opposing the 'Sixth Schedule' status for Darjeeling district.
The central government in 2005 conferred the Sixth Schedule status on the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) that ensures greater autonomy to the governing body.
But Gurung's group, which is opposed to the GNLF, is demanding full statehood for the hill region.
The DGHC was formed in 1988 through an agreement between the central and state governments and the GNLF after the hills witnessed violence for about two years. (Hindustan Times)

Buddhadeb Rejects Separate Gorkhaland Demand

Maintaining that Darjeeling was an integral part of West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Tuesday rejected the demand for carving the hill district out as a separate Gorkhaland state.He said the issue can be solved through talks if Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) activists stayed away from the shutdown in the hill district that began Tuesday morning.'We can offer better financial assistance and administrative control to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). But we can't accept their demand for a separate Gorkhaland state in the region,' Bhattacharjee told reporters here.'It's not at all desirable if the shutdown continues in the hills. The West Bengal government is ready to discuss the issue with the GJM supporters,' he added. 'Last time GJM representatives came to discuss the issue, I urged them to withdraw their demand. But they went back. I already had a dialogue with Delhi regarding the ongoing agitation there.'He said that Darjeeling is an integral part of West Bengal and people, both from the hills and the plains, had an enriching experience of living together for several years.Bhattacharjee said the government offices were closed and all administrative activities had come to a halt due to the shutdown in three sub-divisions - Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.'Tourists, including several foreigners, are facing a harrowing time there due to the indefinite shutdown. We are trying our best to send them back to their respective destinations,' he said.Darjeeling was the summer capital of British India till 1911, when the capital was shifted to Delhi from Kolkata.The verdant hills and the Himalayan toy train service are prime attraction for tourists across the world who flock to the region during summers.The GJM called for an indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling from Tuesday demanding a separate Gorkhaland state.The GJM, led by its president Bimal Gurung, has been spearheading a movement in the hills for a separate state and also opposing the Sixth Schedule status for Darjeeling district.The central government in 2005 conferred the Sixth Schedule status on the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)-led DGHC that ensures greater autonomy to the governing body.The DGHC was formed in 1988 through an agreement between the central and state governments and the GNLF after the hills witnessed violence for about two years.'We demand a separate state to get a clear identity for the Darjeeling district. There is no development in the region. We have no university and medical college in Darjeeling and most of our youths are also unemployed here,' GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said.Giri said the state government should respect the views of common people living in the hills.(News Post India)

Indefinite strike cripples Darjeeling, tourist exodus begins

Kolkata/Darjeeling: An indefinite Darjeeling bandh for a separate Gorkhaland state called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) began on Tuesday, commencing a season of woes for the people living on tourism as holidaymakers leave the hill station in thousands.
An exodus of tourists, estimated to be around 40,000, began from the Queen of Hills as the GJM called shutdown took effect.
"We are stuck here with kids. We want to get out earliest but there is no transport," said a tourist from Darjeeling.
Even hoteliers have asked the tourists to leave as early as possible.
The green, white and yellow flags of GJM fly from homes, shops and cars as the supporters of the party thronged the streets with slogans in support of Gorkhaland.
The agitation followed an alleged attack on GJM members by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) supporters and members of other political outfits at Naxalbari in the plains on Sunday.
"The shutdown has been peaceful so," a senior West Bengal police official said in the morning.
"We called the indefinite shutdown in three sub-divisions - Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong - demanding a separate Gorkhaland state. Several tourists also started leaving Darjeeling district after they came to know about the strike," said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.
The central government in 2005 conferred the Sixth Schedule status on the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) that ensures greater autonomy to the governing body.
But Gurung's group, which is opposed to the GNLF, is demanding full statehood for the hill region. The DGHC was formed in 1988 through an agreement between the central and state governments and the GNLF after the hills witnessed violence for about two years.
Darjeeling was the summer capital of British India till 1911, when the rulers shifted India's capital to Delhi from Calcutta. The verdant hills and the Himalayan toy train service are prime attraction for tourists across the world who flock to the region during summer.
"We will not settle for anything less than a separate state this time," GJM president Bimal Gurung said. "We don't want to cause any inconvenience to the tourists. We are evacuating them within a deadline to begin an indefinite agitation in the hills for a separate state," said Gurung.
The communist government in West Bengal said the demands of the GJM are "out of touch with reality."
But the indefinite strike is resented by the tourism industry people. Anil Punjabi, who runs a travel company and heads the eastern unit of Travel Agents' Federation of India (TAFI), said: "Darjeeling is an evergreen sector and the holiday season is still not over. We lose at least 20 percent of our business because of the strike," he said.

Tourists stranded by India strike

By Subir Bhaumik BBC News, Calcutta
An indefinite strike called by a regional political party in India's tea-producing Darjeeling area has left thousands of tourists stranded.
The protest has paralysed life in all the three districts of the region.
On Monday, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) held a protest alleging attack on their supporters by activists of the state's ruling Marxists on Sunday.
The communists have denied the charge. Darjeeling is in the north of the eastern state of West Bengal.
The region is home to hundreds of tea gardens and produces Darjeeling tea which is coveted for its flavour.
The Gorkhas fought for a separate state through the 1980s but they later settled for regional autonomy.
The recently-formed Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has revived the struggle for a separate state.
All three districts in the region - Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong - are affected by the strike call.
'Lost faith'
"We have asked all tourists to leave immediately," said GJM secretary Roshan Giri.
"We are forced to call this indefinite strike because we have lost all faith in the West Bengal government," he said.
"They are stopping us from holding rallies peacefully, they are trying to provoke an ugly situation. So we will continue this strike until we achieve a separate state for Gorkhas," he said.
The strike has left tens of thousands of tourists stranded in the three hill districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
"There's not enough vehicles to take all of them down to the plains within a day," said Darjeeling Hotel Association chief Sangay Bhutia.
On Monday, the GJM held a strike in the region to protest against Sunday's attack on their supporters allegedly by the workers of West Bengal's ruling Marxists.
'Unprovoked'
The GJM supporters were blocking a national highway leading to Darjeeling when they came under attack, Mr Giri said.
"The attack was unprovoked," he added.
The foothills are dominated by Bengali and Hindi speakers, while the Darjeeling hills are dominated by Nepali-speaking Gorkhas.
The Marxists denied they had any part in the attack.
The Gorkhas fought for a separate state under the leadership of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) in the 1980s.
Between February and March 1988, the GNLF shut down the hill region for 40 days in one go.
But the GNLF leader Subhash Ghising later settled for regional autonomy.
Late last year, a large group of the Gorkhas, led by his former lieutenant Bimal Gurung, split from him and formed the GJM to renew the struggle for a separate state. (BBC)

NEWS IN HIMALAYA DARPAN: Gorkhaland

This time, violence could spread to plains

At the peak of the Gorkhaland movement, Siliguri and the rest of north Bengal plains watched from a safe distance the gory battle in the Hills. Two decades later, with the Gorkhaland demand revived, these plains may no longer be bystanders.
For Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s Bimal Gurung, the indefinite strike call is not just another showdown between GJM and the Left Front government. It is an opportunity to flex muscles in the plains, mobilize supporters as well as arm-twist the government.
The inclusion of Siliguri in the proposed Gorkhaland has only made the situation more tense, making Bengalis living in Siliguri insecure and even ready to fight back.
Insecurity-induced violence is almost imminent. Groups such as Jana Jagran Manch and Jana Chetana Manch have emerged in the plains to oppose GJM and have started targeting Nepali-speaking people.
At least 16 people were injured on Sunday at Bagdogra and Naxalbari. A backlash from Bimal Gurung and his henchmen is only a matter of time. So far none from GJM have spoken against Bengalis and there has been no attack on Bengalis in the Hills. Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has instead tried to go out of its way to appear friendly to Bengalis, bringing in some Bengali-speaking people for a rally near Siliguri on May 7. The flashpoint for the present turmoil was the administration’s (read CPM) refusal to give permission to GJM to hold a rally at Naxalbari. The CPI-ML (Liberation) and Left Front partner Forward Bloc both feel the administration was wrong in denying permission.
“It is a democratic party recognised by Election Commission. They should have been allowed to hold the rally. The way things are going it will take a turn for the worse,” said Smritish Bhattacharya, Forward Bloc district secretary. The Naxalite parties too want the dialogue to continue.
“Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee might have rejected Gorkhaland demand but the scope for dialogue still remains. We are all for a peaceful settlement of the issue. This could be in the form of another state or more autonomy,” said Abhijit Majumdar, CPI-ML (Liberation) state committee member. [The Times of India]