One of the most popular hill stations of India, Darjeeling is witnessing an ugly face-off between the Mamata Banerjee government and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
Heavy deployment of security personnel was made in Darjeeling today as the GJM gave a call for indefinite bandh and boycott of all government offices. Paramilitary forces patrolled the city this morning to ensure that the situation remained under control.
Paramilitary jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in Darjeeling in large numbers. The forces are equipped with full riot gear.
GJM WARNS TOURISTS
Amid rising tension, GJM president Bimal Gurun has warned tourists asking them to leave Darjeeling immediately.
Bimal Gurung said, “The situation is turning worse, and anything can happen. The tourists must understand this. If they wish to stay back, they may do so at their own risk. I appeal to them to leave.”
Bimal Gurung is an elected member of the Gorkha Territorial Administration, which is an autonomous body for governance of what is called Gorkha region of West Bengal.
Reacting to the warning issued by Bimal Gurung, West Bengal Tourism Minister Goutam Deb said, “This is an extra-constitutional diktat, (which is) blatantly illegal. Tourists are free to go to the Hills. Gurung heads a legally mandated self-autonomous council. He is not above the law.”
SITUATION IN DARJEELING
Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed in sensitive areas of Darjeeling. The areas, where important government offices are located have been put under heavy security cover.
Toy train services – a major attraction for the tourists – have been suspended but schools and colleges are open. Traffic was reported to be thin in Darjeeling city as many people chose to stay home fearing violence.
SOME CAUGHT IN BETWEEN
The GJM is part of the NDA, ruling at the Centre while a fierce political adversary of the TMC, which rules West Bengal. The GJM has kept educational institutions, transport and hotels out of the purview of the shutdown.
The GJM, which heads the GTA, has also issued a diktat to banks to open only twice a week.
The Trinamool Congress government, on its part, ordered all its employees and those of the institutions receiving grants-in-aid from it to attend office on all days till the agitation continues, warning that absence from duty will be considered a break in service.
“All state government offices in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts will remain open and all employees should report for duty on each day till such bandh is not withdrawn,” a government notification said.
“Any absence will be considered as a break in service and no salary will be admissible unless covered by reasonable grounds,” the notification said.
WHY GJM IS ON COLLISION COURSE
The GJM had on Friday called a 12-hour bandh in the hills against the Mamata Banerjee government's decision to introduce Bengali language in schools in the hills, a day after Darjeeling, the picturesque north Bengal town known the world over for its tea industry, witnessed large-scale violence.
A day before, GJM supporters and workers had clashed with the police and set ablaze several government vehicles during widespread protests over introduction of Bengali language in schools in the hills.
Army had to be called out to stage flag marches in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong to restore peace. The sensitive language issue provided the spark which reignited the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
“The government has encroached on our identity, our language Nepali. We will never tolerate it,” Gurung said, adding “we are ready to court arrest, we will have to go to jail for the sake of the agitation.”
Blaming Banerjee for the renewal of the Gorkhaland demand by his party, Gurung said, “We will stick to our demand for a separate state and continue with the agitation for achieving it. Mamata Banerjee has forced us to renew the statehood demand, we will achieve it.”
Meanwhile, police yesterday arrested five GJM supporters for their alleged involvement in Thursday's violence.
The GJM has also been concerned about the rise in TMCs popularity in the hills after the latter won the Mirik municipality in the recently held civic bodies elections, and also opened its account in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, a first for a political party from the plains in many years.
The government's decision for a “special audit” of funds allotted to GTA also riled Gurung's GJM, which has controlled the territorial administration since 2011.
PAST AGITATION
Darjeeling hills had seen a violent movement for a separate Gorkhaland in the mid 1980s under Subhash Ghisingh.
The movement ended with the establishment of a semi-autonomous administrative body in 1988 called Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council headed by Ghisingh.
As Ghisingh's influence waned over time, the GJM launched another movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland. In 2011, the GJM signed an agreement with the state and central governments, and another semi-autonomous administrative unit GTA was born replacing the DGHC.
(With PTI inputs)
