Sir scraps parade plan after leave-hills threat

Bar on R-Day celebration TT, Darjeeling, Jan. 1: A former GNLF MLA from Kurseong and the headmaster of a school has been forced to come back with his students from Calcutta after the “general public of Mungpoo” said he would be barred from entering the hills if his school participated in the Republic Day parade in the state capital. Nar Bahadur Chhetri is the headmaster of Saraswati Higher Secondary School in Mungpoo in Kurseong subdivision, 45km from Darjeeling town. “The general public of Mungpoo came to us with the grievance that the headmaster had already sent 60 students from his school to take part in the Republic Day celebrations in Calcutta. The people believe that it was inappropriate for him to take students to Calcutta at a time when hundreds of other students were agitating for Gorkhaland along the national highways,” said Binay Tamang, the assistant secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha spearheading the statehood movement in the hills. Tamang said although the meeting with the “public” of Mungpoo was chaired by him at Sevoke yesterday, the decision to stop Chhetri from returning to the hills was taken by the “people of his area”. “We are not against Republic Day celebrations but we found out that another school in Kurseong had been initially asked to take part in the parade. However, when that institution turned down the invitation because of the movement that is going on, it was offered to Saraswati Higher Secondary School and the headmaster immediately decided to participate in the parade without even consulting the people of the area,” said Tamang. This is not the first time that those owing allegiance to Subash Ghisingh’s GNLF have been barred from returning to their homes in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, ever since the Morcha was launched on October 7, 2007. Prominent GNLF leaders like Dawa Pakhrin, the party’s branch president in Kalimpong, and even the party’s MLA from Kurseong, Shanta Chhetri, have not been allowed to return to their respective homes along with a host of others since the Morcha’s writ began in the hills. The Morcha leadership though, has always claimed that it was the “spontaneous reaction of the people” that had banned these leaders from entering the hills. The final nail in the coffin for the GNLF leadership came on July 26, 2008, when a bullet allegedly fired from the house of Deepak Gurung, the party’s Darjeeling branch president, killed Pramila Sharma, a Morcha supporter, demonstrating in front of the building. Following the incident, Gurung’s house was torched and the violence also spread to Kalimpong where the house of C.K. Kumai, the former chairman of the municipality, was torched. The headmaster, when contacted on his cellphone this evening, said he was on his way to Mungpoo with the children. “I found out that as the headmaster of the school it was difficult for me to stay away from my official work for long. I have to look after so many problems,” Chhetri said. Asked about the threat issued by the “people of Mungpoo”, the former GNLF MLA said he had not heard of any such matter. “I have some personal problems, too, at that time (of the Republic Day celebration) and so I am going back. I want to lead the life of an ideal teacher,” Chhetri said. GNLF-rival clash injures 2 Cars stuck in the blockade organised by Malbazar Drivers’ Association at Caltex More in Malbazar on Friday. Picture by Biplab Basak Siliguri, Jan. 1: Two persons were injured after supporters of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the GNLF clashed at Panighata last evening during a New Year revelry. What started with an altercation on hurling crackers ended with a fight with kukuris. While the GNLF alleged that the injured were its members, the Morcha claimed that two of its supporters were hurt. Rajen Mukhia, a GNLF leader from Panighata, located 40km from here, said: “It was around 9pm and a couple of our supporters were chatting in front of their residence while celebrating the night before New Year. Suddenly Ratan Sarki and Bhagirath Kami, two Morcha members, threw crackers at them. Sahadeb Thapa, one of our supporters, protested but was immediately attacked by the Morcha duo with kukuris. Thapa suffered injuries on his hand and legs.” Mukhia said the local people soon informed a patrolling police team in the Panighata market area who came and brought the situation under control. According to Mukhia, about 25-30 Morcha supporters later attacked his house under the leadership of Tikaram Pradhan. They pelted the house with stones and also beat up Raj Thapa, another member of Mukhia’s organisation. “We have lodged a complaint at the police outpost this morning and demanded immediate arrest of the Morcha men, who attacked our supporters without any provocation. If the administration fails to take any measure in this regard, we will organise an indefinite movement in the area,” Mukhia said. Pradhan, the convener of the Morcha’s Panighata branch, however, denied the allegations levelled by his rivals. “Ratan and Bhagirath, two of our supporters, were attacked by Sahadeb, who was completely drunk at that time. Both our members suffered injuries. They also hurled stones at my house and damaged the windowpanes. We have lodged a complaint at the police outpost here against the GNLF.” D.P. Singh, the police chief of Darjeeling said: “We have received separate complaints from both the rival groups and an investigation has started. One or two person may have been injured but it is nothing serious.” Students lift road siege, relay fast on Vidyarthi Morcha supporters squat on NH55 at Sukna on Friday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo TT, Siliguri, Jan. 1: The Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha has announced the withdrawal of road blockades from tomorrow. However, the relay hunger strike by its members in different parts of the Terai and the Dooars will start on January 2 as had been scheduled. “After observing seven-hour road blockades on three national highways till 4pm, we have decided not to continue it from tomorrow. But our members will sit on relay hunger strike for 12 hours on different roads in the hills and the plains from tomorrow without disrupting traffic,” Kismat Chhetri, the president of the student wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, told journalists at Panchnoi, 6km from here, this afternoon. A seven-member Vidyarthi Morcha team will be on relay fast beside the national highways at Sevoke, Sukna, Kurseong, Rangpo, Teesta and different places of the Dooars. “This will continue till the next level of tripartite meeting,” he said. Yesterday, the student wing of the Morcha declared a 24-hour general strike on January 2 only to withdraw it a few hours later. The Vidyarthi Morcha president said they postponed the general strike after Morcha chief Bimal Gurung received an assurance from the Union home ministry yesterday that the next tripartite meeting would be held at the political level before the budget session of Parliament. “Following the assurance, we decided in a meeting with our central committee members not to continue with the road blockades across the region from tomorrow,” Chhetri said. “But if the next tripartite meeting fails to deliver any positive result on our demand for the separate state of Gorkhaland, we will call 72-hour and 108-hour general strikes in the proposed area of Gorkhaland, which will be followed by fast-unto-death.” The blockades over the past seven days had inconvenienced several tourists besides the local people. Although tour operators have been getting queries after yesterday’s snowfall in the hills, tourists are hesitating to go in for further booking because of frequent agitation. “We were getting a number of queries from tourists, mostly for Sikkim. But after yesterday’s snowfall at Tiger Hill, tourists now want to visit Darjeeling, too. But we are hesitating to take the bookings because of the blockades. Now if the movement is withdrawn, tourists may again be interested in visiting the region,” said Ashish Das, the operational manager of the Siliguri-based Bon Voyage Tours and Travels Private Ltd. Earlier, urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya said the state government would seek the Centre’s intervention for tackling the Vidyarthi Morcha’s agitation. “I will ask the state chief secretary to take up the issue with the central government. I will also speak to the chief minister tomorrow,” he said. GJMM students wing calls off bandh SNS, ILIGURI, 1 JAN: The GJMM students’ wing ~ Gorkha Vidyarthi Morcha, has called off tomorrow's proposed shutdown in the Darjeeling district and the Dooars. Also the student body has withdrawn its National Highway and rail blockades agitation that was going on since 28 December.  The development came following a late evening meeting between the GJMM supremo Mr Bimal Gurung and the Vidyarthi Morcha leaders in Darjeeling yesterday.  “We have called off the strike and the blockade agitation keeping in mind the proposed political level tripartite dialogue on the Gorkhaland demand. However, we would initiate a relay hunger strike from 7 am tomorrow and the same would continue until and unless the tripartite dialogue is held,” Vidyarthi Morcha president Mr Kismat Chhetri said this evening. As per the student leader, the proposed relay hunger strike would be organised by the roadsides at Dagapur (near Siliguri), Sevoke, Rangpoo, Kalimpong, Kurseond and Darjeeling.  “Seven student activists would carry out the relay fast at each of the places. But the agitation would not cause any trouble for vehicular movements on any of the roads passing by,” he said.  Meanwhile, as was announced earlier, the Vidyarthi Morcha activists blocked the NH 55 to Darjeeling, NH 31 to Assam and NH 31A to Sikkim from 9 am to 4 pm today. However, in case of NH 55, the blockade was today put up at Sukna instead of at the previous days’ venue Dagapur. Tranport system collapses in Dooars SNS, JALPAIGURI, 1 JAN: The Dooars Drivers Association, an apolitical platform formed yesterday by the Malbazar-based bus and taxi drivers along with the common people convened a 72- hour transport strike all over Dooars and one day trade shutdown at Malbazaar. The platform came into being yesterday after the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha supporters ransacked a Malbazar-based ambulance at Sevok Coronation Bridge. The Jan Jagran Mancha and the Dooars Terai Nagarik Manch leaders supported the bandh.  The strike evoked a good response at Malbazaar, Chalsa, Damdim and Odlabari area where all the shops remained closed and no private or government buses plied. According to the secretary of the platform, Mr Subal Dey, they would continue with the strike till the GJMM lifts the road blockade agitation.  “The district administration is playing a passive role vis-à-vis the GJMM obstructionist programme. We, the common people, are at the receiving end of the GJMM attempt to unleash anarchy,” Mr Dey stated, adding that the trading would become normal tomorrow after today's token srike. Meanwhile, the Dooars Terai Nagarik Manch activists served a memorandum to the state chief secretary, Mr Ashok Mohan Chakraborty today, demanding immediate intervention of the state government to normalize the situation in the hills, Terai and Dooars within next 72 hours. The Jalpaiguri District Ambulance Workers’ Union (CITU affiliated) also submitted a memorandum to the SP, Jalpaiguri, Mr Anand Kumar, asking him to bring to book those GJMM activists involved in ransacking an ambulance on the Sevoke Coronation Bridge yesterday. According to district secretary of the organization, Mr Narayn Das, they have also observed a suspension of work for two hours in Jalpaiguri, protesting against the incident.  Bus strike convened Four trade unions associated with the bus workers operating along the Jalpaiguri-Siliguri route convened a 24- hour bus strike today, demanding arrest of those involved in assaulting a driver, conductor and helper of a mini-bus last night. According to the union leaders, the incident happened at around 9pm near Jalpaiguri Mohitnagar Firm Gate area where around 100 intoxicated local youths allegedly assaulted the bus workers. “An altercation among the passengers resulted in the disturbances. A woman passenger, allegedly humiliated, gathered the local youths. They assaulted the bus workers in inebriated condition,” said Mr Manik Ghosh, district secretary of the All India Central Council of Trade Union (CPI-ML affiliated). The Congress affiliated National Labour Coordination Council, CITU affiliated BUS Workers Union and Trinamul Congress affiliated Indian National Trinamul Trade Union Congress supported the bus strike and blocked road in Jalpaiguri in the morning. Later they withdraw the road blockade following police intervention. Dooars forum mulls tax boycott Alipurduar, Jan. 1: The Janajagaran Mancha is planning to boycott the payment of electricity bills and road tax till the government gives it a written assurance that the national highway at Sevoke would never be allowed to be shut down again. The Mancha, a forum of businessmen, teachers and people from different walks of life, today enforced a 24-hour bandh in the Malbazar subdivision to protest the blockades on three national highways by the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha. It also threatened to shut down government offices and banks indefinitely from Monday, till the government gives it the assurance. “The road via Sevoke linking the Dooars with Siliguri is vital for us and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has been shutting down traffic every day for prolonged hours. We are experiencing a lot of problems,” said Raju Bagchi, the secretary of the Mancha. Bagchi said the Mancha was planning to boycott the payment of electricity bills and road tax. “We have not taken a final decision on this as yet but are speaking to other organisations.” He said people needing specialised medical attention and essential commodities have to go to Siliguri, a drive of 55km, regularly. “Whenever there is a blockade at Sevoke, the only alternative is to take the road via Jalpaiguri town which is almost double the distance.” Bagchi said even though the Morcha’s student wing lifted its roadblock from today, there was no guarantee that they would not set up blockades. “We will shut down government offices and banks on Monday for an indefinite period if the administration does not give us a written assurance.” Shops and establishments were closed and vehicles remained off the roads in the subdivision. The Mancha took out rallies in Malbazar. The bandh was sparked by rumours that Vidyarthi Morcha supporters had blocked an ambulance at Sevoke. The outfit has denied it.