Strike for Gorkhaland disrupts traffic in Darjeeling Hills

A 96-hour shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in Darjeeling Hills and adjoining areas today to demand a separate state disrupted traffic between Sikkim and the rest of the country.

Only army vehicles and those of other emergency services were plying on the national highway, which is the lifeline of the mountain state, a police official at the inter-state border checkpost at Rangpo told PTI.

The GJM leaders had earlier announced in Darjeeling that vehicles carrying tourists and passengers boarding trains from New Jalpaiguri will be allowed to cross the highway. The GJM has demanded that the Centre immediately table a bill in Parliament for creation of Gorkhaland.