CPRM’s rally to Siliguri stopped

Siliguri, Aug. 25: The rally taken out by CPRM workers from Darjeeling to Siliguri in demand of Gorkhaland was stopped today by police at Panchnoi, 4km from the destination.

The procession organised to protest the agreement to from Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had started from Sukna this morning. Around 400 CPRM supporters were stopped at a police barricade after covering 4km on NH55.

“We plans to walk on the streets of Siliguri to raise our demand for the separate state and point out that the GTA had miserably failed to meet our aspirations,” said Govind Chhetri, the organisational head of the CPRM.

“We had halted at Sukna yesterday and started for Siliguri today. The police, however, raised a barricade on NH55 and stopped us at Panchnoi. They said our entry to Siliguri might lead to deterioration of law and order and if we tried to move further, all of us would be arrested.”

The marchers led by party general secretary Taramoni Rai and leaders like Arun Ghatany and Kishore Pradhan held placards and shouted slogans in favour of Gorkhaland and against the GTA accord. The rally had started from Darjeeling on Tuesday.

Around 70 policemen, led by additional superintendent of police of Siliguri Amit P. Javalgi and deputy superintendent of police Pradip Pal, were posted at Panchnoi to stop the march. A meeting was organised at the very spot and the speakers slammed the government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha without naming the party.

“A hill party (Morcha) secured favourable mandate from the people in the Assembly polls by promising Gorkhaland. But later, they compromised and formed the GTA. We condemn such political moves, which have left the hill people disappointed,” said Chhetri.

In Siliguri, 12 supporters of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee, which had threatened to stop the CPRM rally from approaching town, were arrested this morning. Around 10.45am, Mukunda Majumdar, the president of the Bhasha Banchao Committee, reached Darjeeling More with his supporters and started a demonstration. Police soon reached the spot and whisked the protesters away.

The Telegraph

Gorkhaland issue: Chidambaram holds meeting with GJM

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday held a meeting with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on the demand for statehood to Gorkhaland and is understood to have deliberated on setting up of a regional authority for Gorkhas in Darjeeling.

“We had a detailed discussion on our demand with the Home Minister. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and was very positive,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told reporters after an hour-long meeting.

Mr. Giri refused to divulge what transpired, but said the Central government should clear its stand on GJM’s demand.

Sources said the meeting deliberated on the possibility of setting up of the proposed Darjeeling Regional Authority comprising the districts of Darjeeling and adjoining areas but no decision has been taken.

However, it was not clear whether the interim authority would be set up before the West Bengal Assembly elections a few months away.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh was part of the delegation.

During the last tripartite political level talks, key issues, including territorial jurisdiction, were sorted out.

The Central and West Bengal governments have earlier worked on the subjects and departments which are expected to be handed over to the interim authority.

Sources said both the Central and West Bengal governments favoured limiting the proposed authority to just the hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

Since its inception in 2007, the GJM has been demanding a separate Gorkhaland State that includes the Siliguri sub-division of Darjeeling district in the plains and contiguous areas in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.

Source: The Hindu