When in doubt, call a bandh

Darjeeling, June 18: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today called an “indefinite” strike in the Darjeeling hills from tomorrow, falling back on a time-tested tactic after being forced on the backfoot since the murder of Madan Tamang.

The Morcha, which had been hunting for a pretext to re-assert its strength, said the bandh had been called to protest the government’s failure to reply why police lathicharged its party supporters on Wednesday night in Kurseong.

The government has been stepping up heat on Bimal Gurung’s party since Tamang’s murder on May 21. The state has not only implicated the Morcha in the killing, but has also started asserting the writ of administration in the hills after almost 32 months.

As a first step, DGHC administrator B.L. Meena filed FIRs against Gorkhaland Personnel — a Morcha squad of lathi-wielding volunteers — occupying government properties for the past two years. In fact, on Wednesday evening the police even visited the GLP headquarters at Jamuni, about 35km from Darjeeling, which was unthinkable a couple of months ago, given the state’s non-confrontation policy.

Following Tamang’s daylight murder, three companies of the CRPF were deployed in Darjeeling town for the first time after the Morcha was formed on October 7, 2007. Meena has also started a probe into the development projects undertaken in the hills following last year’s devastation caused by Cyclone Aila.

Under the circumstances, the Morcha was looking for an opportunity to put the pressure back on the government and Wednesday’s lathicharge provided the spark.

“The indefinite strike will continue unless the administration gives us a written explanation on the decision to lathicharge a peaceful gathering in front of the Kurseong police station where 17 of our supporters were injured,” said Binay Tamang, assistant secretary of the Morcha.

But faced with a Supreme Court notice, the Morcha has decided to keep NH31A, the lifeline of Sikkim, out of the strike’s purview and has also exempted the tea gardens and cinchona plantations, the backbone of the hill economy, and schools with mid-term exams.

The Morcha has also decided to demonstrate in front of police stations across the hills from tomorrow. “The demonstrations will take place for two hours everyday from 11am onwards,” said R.P. Waiba, the vice-president of the Morcha.

The outfit also demanded the immediate transfer of K.L. Tamta, inspector-general of police, north Bengal, along with the subdivisional police officer of Kurseong, Rakesh Singh. But when the government announced Tamta’s transfer in the afternoon, the Morcha described it as “routine”.

“The tenure of B.L. Meena comes to an end on June 30 and we don’t want the government to give him an extension,” said Tamang. The Morcha today wrote to the chief minister demanding Meena’s removal “in the interest of the public”.

The Democratic Front, an anti-Morcha conglomeration of seven parties, said it would go ahead with its June 20 public meeting.

Ishamani Pakhrin, a central committee member of the Morcha, said his party had no intentions of disrupting the meeting.

The Telegraph