The state government has vowed to keep situation normal in the hills.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)-called indefinite bandh will start from Monday in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal. GJM leaders have targeted to keep all the state government offices shut. The state, on the other hand will keep no stone unturned to foil the strike called by GJM.
The number of tourists in Darjeeling has dipped considerably and the tourist hotspot Mall Road bore a near-deserted look on Sunday. Few of the visitors who remained are mostly those who haven't been able to leave the hills so far and are trying desperate to do so by Sunday night.
In what is being perceived as a veiled threat to the state government, GJM president Bimal Gurung had said on Sunday that they intend to keep the protest non-violent, provided the police do not use force on them. “We will protest in a democratic manner but if police use force to stop us we will definitely resist and we should not be held responsible for what happens after that. Our only demand is that for a separate Gorkhaland for ourselves. We will shut the state government offices at the hills and adjoining areas,” Gurung said.
He said that a team would be sent at the Centre to form a committee to look into their demand for Gorkhaland. “Neither the state nor the Central government can neglect our demand,” he added. District Magistrate (DM) of Darjeeling, Joyoshi Das Gupta said on Sunday that all possible measures would be taken to ensure that life went on as normal.
GJM leaders said that their workers would see to it that government offices in and around the hills would be non-functional. They would also organise protest rallies. TMC workers on the other hand too, would be taking out rallies to oppose the bandh.
It was found out that heavy police deployment would be there at all government offices to provide security to government employees who would be working in the hills. Police have been given instruction to ensure prevention of public property by members of an agitating mob.
In a circular issued by the state government on Sunday it said that any government official who remained absent from work during bandh would not only get a pay cut but the employee will also get a break in service. Only those employee who would be hospitalised, had a bereavement in the family, severe illness and absence continuing from prior to June 9, those on child care leave, maternity leave, medical leave prior to June 9 and those who had Earned Leave sanctioned and continuing prior to June 9 were exempted.
In another development, five GJM workers had been arrested for their alleged connection to the violence on June 8 during the protest after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held her first cabinet meeting in Darjeeling. The five – Sanjib Tamang, Rabindra Pradhan, Tika Tamang, Santosh Thapa and Bhuban Giri – were produced at that court which sent them to a two-day police custody.
Reacting to the arrest, Gurung said that even if the police arrested 5000 of the GJM workers they would still not budge from their demand for Gorkhaland.
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