GJM bandh continues in Darjeeling

Life continued to remain at a standstill in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal on Friday as the 96-hour bandh called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) entered its third day.

The bandh call was given to put pressure on the Centre to clarify its stance on the GJM's demand for a Gorkhaland state to be carved out of the hills and certain areas contiguous to it. “There is no indication from the Centre as yet on its position regarding our demand for a separate State. Our programme [the bandh] will continue,” GJM senior leader Harka Bahadur Chettri told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling.

Darjeeling hills fear counter-bandh

Darjeeling/Siliguri (West Bengal), Jan 15 (IBNS) Life continued to affect in the hills of Darjeeling for fourth day on Saturday after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's first phase of the 27-day shutdown ends at sun down with people looking at an opportunity to buy essentials before next phase begins on Jan 18.

Alarmed by a threat of a counter bandh in the plains, the GJM demanding separate statehood by dividing West Bengal has requested the Centre to ban the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee for attempting to impose an “economic blockade” on the hills.

The BOBBBC, a new outfit launched to protest any move to divide Bengal, called a 48-hour bandh in the plains of Siliguri from Jan 16 to counter the hills bandh.

Inspector-general of police (north Bengal) Ranvir Kumar said he had asked his officers at Siliguri to have discussion with BOBBBC and refrain from any bandh in the plains.

Siliguri is the only lifeline for the landlocked hills of Darjeeling and neighbouring Sikkim state as all rations and essentials are imported from the plains about, 80 kms south of Darjeeling town.

Sikkim's lifeline 31A, passes through Kalimpong sub-division, however kept open following directive by the Supreme Court. The para-military forces have been guarding the 120 kms roads connecting between Siliguri and Gangtok.

The BOBBBC strategists say the GJM's "tactical" 27-day phase-wise bandh in the hills would be frustrated once they (BOBBBC) shut the plains during intervals.

The Siliguri-based BOBBBC called 48-hour general strike as an “economic blockade” on Jan 16 and 17, the days when the GJM relaxes its ongoing 27-day general strike.

Meanwhile, rations in the households were diminishing fast, especially fuel like kerosene, diesel, petrol and cooking gas owing to massive use to beat the freezing cold.

There is a growing resentments among the reseidents, but no body dares to come out openly in the fear of being singled out by the GJM supporters, the opposition alleges.

GJM president Bimal Gurung said they might continue with the bandh if the plains areas shut on Jan 16 and 17. Accroding to GJM the bandh would start again from Jan 18 for eight days.

The political observers said the Centre and state must intervene to stop the bandh or else the whole system of life will collapse.

The Darjeeling administration urged all political parties including the GJM to refrain from calling bandh as life of millions of innocent is affected in the region.

West Bengal Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) S.K. Purakayastha said in Kolkata that the state has requested the Union Home ministry to dispatch six companies of central forces.

GJMM withdraws indefinite strike in Darjeeling

DARJEELING: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has withdrawn the indefinite strike called in Darjeeling hills from Monday in view of the tripartite talks with the Centre and West Bengal government on September 7.

The decision was announced by GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri after a meeting with the Darjeeling District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police Devendra Pratap Singh.

The indefinite strike had been called to demand production of Nicole Tamang, the main suspect behind the May 21 killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang in the town, in court by Monday.

To press for the demand, Giri said batches of seven GJM supporters would fast in Kalimpomg, Kurseong and Darjeeling from September 1 to 17.

A GJM 'investigation team' has also been formed, he said, adding it would leave for Assam and Nepal in search of Nicole.

He also announced that henceforth government and Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council offices in the hills would be allowed to function unhindered.

source: PTI

GJMM defers Darjeeling strike till August 30

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has deferred its indefinite bandh to August 30 from tomorrow to allow the administration more time to find Nicol Tamang, the main accused in the killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang, who escaped from CID custody last week.

The decision to defer the bandh was taken after a meeting with Darjeeling District Magistrate Surendra Gupta and Superintendent of Police Devendra Pratao Singh, GJM Assistant Secretary Benoy Tamang told newsmen here.

“They have been given time till 12:00 pm on August 30 to produce Nicol Tamang in court,” he said.

Nicole, a close aide of GJM president Bimal Gurung and a central committee member, escaped from CID custody on August 22 from the Pintail village, near Siliguri.

Source: PTI

Indefinite Bandh lifted for two days in Darjeeling hills

GJM waiting for the police to produce Nikol Tamang

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha on Tuesday said, the indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills will be has been lifted from Wednesday for two days, by which time when the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha GJM leadership expects the local police administration to produce Nikol Tamang, one of the prime accused in the murder of prominent leader Madan Tamang, it said on Tuesday.

The GJM had called for a an indefinite bandh from Sunday afternoon alleging that Nikol Tamang, a member of its central committee, had been killed while in custody of the State's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), even as the police claimed that he had escaped earlier that day.

The CID has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any information on that leads to tracing Nikol Tamang.

“The district's superintendent of police has assured us that Nikol will be produced alive. We have set the administration a deadline of two days following which we will decide on our next course of action”, Roshan Giri, GJM general secretary told TheHindu over the phone telephone from Darjeeling.

The attention of the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, among other senior leaders, has been drawn by the GJM to its stand regarding the “sudden disappearance” of Nikol Tamang.

Life disrupted

Normal life has been severely disrupted in the hills following the bandh call by the GJM.

Vehicles were off the roads, and shops, commercial establishments and educational institutions were closed on the day.

Source: The Hindu

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha relaxes indefinite hill bandh in Darjeeling for two days

Darjeeling: Relief has come Darjeeling's way as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) suspended its bandh on Tuesday.

This came after the police assured GJM members that their leader Nicole Tamang — one of the prime accused in the killing of Gorkha leader Madan Tamang — would be traced and arrested.

The outfit's infinite bandh that began on Sunday stranded several tourists in the city and forced vehicles off the roads on the national highway that connects neighbouring Sikkim.

The GJM fears Nicole has been killed by the police in a fake encounter. It called for the bandh hours after he fled from the CID custody on Sunday.

The outfit had set a 24-hour deadline to bring back Nicole alive.

Nicole was being held at a CID camp near Siliguri after being remanded to two weeks' police custody by a Darjeeling court.

His mobile was found from the spot in Darjeeling where Madan, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, was stabbed to death on May 21.

Source: IBN Live