DARJEELING: To close for 4 days







FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Darjeeling, Dec. 10: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today announced a four-day strike in the Darjeeling hills from December 14, demanding that Gorkhaland be dealt simultaneously with Telangana and going back on its word that there would be no bandhs till the scheduled tripartite talks in the third week of this month.

The general strike is part of the series of agitation programmes (see chart) lined up by the Morcha which has lost faith in the tripartite talks between the Centre, state and its own leaders. Till date, the party had attached much importance to the talks and had even agreed to maintain congenial atmosphere before the fourth rounds on December 21.

“Given the developments that have taken place…the tripartite meeting is no longer important for us. We want Gorkhaland to be created along with the state of Telangana,” said Morcha president Bimal Gurung at a media conference in Singhmari. The party has decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike from tomorrow in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Siliguri and the Dooars as well.

Determined to go ahead with the agitation, Gurung said: “During the bandh, we will not allow even police vehicles to ply.”

Many hotels have already started advising tourists to cancel their trips. “Although it is not a peak season, we did have some bookings. Given the fact that the situation is definitely going to deteriorate in the days to come we are advising tourists to change their plans,” said a hotelier here.

More people will be inducted in the hunger strike from December 18 onwards. Till then, regular rallies by various frontal organisations of the party have been lined up.

With the Congress government at the Centre asking its counterparts in Andhra Pradesh to table a resolution on Telangana, the Morcha leadership is confused. “This means f the Centre is honest and willing, there is no need for tripartite talks and an interlocutor, you can get down to brass tacks and settle the matter,” said Morcha media and publicity secretary Harka Bahadur Chhetri.

The Telangana development is worrying the CPM too. “We opposed the Centre (on formation of smaller states) since we knew that it would open a Pandora’s box. It will instigate the separatist forces in Bengal including those asking for Gorkhaland, Greater Cooch Behar and Kamtapur,” said CPM politburo member and industry minister Nirupam Sen after a state secretariat meeting in Calcutta this evening. The communists are divided on Telangana as the CPI supported its formation in Parliament.