Police lathi charge GJM supporters at Shibsu to disperse GJM supporters

Tension gripped the entire hill when a news spread about the lathi charge by the police at Sibshu. GJNM staged demonstration in all the police stations and traffic was halted for about three hours in all the areas of three hill subdivisions and NH 55, NH 31 C near Bagrakote and NH31A during the afternoon. Later at about 5 pm the blockade was withdrawn. Four GJM supporters were arrested from Rangpo for disrupting the traffic movement in NH 31 A.

According to the informations received from local GJM members of Sibshu, police charged with batons to a group of GJM and GJNM members gathered there. On the second day of hunger strike in Sibshu Dooars near Khumani more 7 local GJNM members of Sibshu Forest village had participated in the verandah of Sibshu Community hall. Violating 144 CrPC GJM supporters were gathered near the premises of a pandal erected for the hunger strike. They were joined by GJM and GJNM supporters from Khumani area by sneaking through a bye lane via a forest.

There was a commotion when police lathicharged to disperse the crowd of GJM supporters without any warning or firing tear gas shells. Atleast 8 people suffered minor injuries while one is seriously injured and rushed to SD Hospital Kalimpong. The group of GJM supporters had entered Sibshu area from Khumani through a bye lane. Jalpaiguri police has stopped plying of all vehicles through the Khunia more to Jaldhaka via Sibshu. All the vehicles of this route are taking the Matelli Khumani route to reach Jholung, Todey and Gairibas, Rongo.

On the second day of the relay hunger strike in Kalimpong seven members of Janmukti Asthayi Karmachari Sangathan participated. Meanwhile in the morning GJNM the women's wing of GJM gheraoed residence of Dawa Pakhrin former GNLF councillor and present President of Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha for speaking against the GJM stand about Gorkhaland. Pakhrin had ridiculed the recent switching over of demand of GJM from GRA to separate statehood. In the afternoon GJNM supporters stopped movement of all two and four wheelers and protested against the police atrocities in Dooars and demanded safe passage to the Long March Padyatra of Bimal Gurung GJM President from Khumani to Jaigaon.

Source: KalimNews