Gorkhaland protest: GJM asks people to remain indoors for next week

Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has set up a Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee to continue its stir for formation of Gorkhaland. The committee has asked people to remain indoors the whole of next week as the Calcutta High Court had recently termed 'People's Curfew' an illegal act.

Spokesman of the newly-formed body said "The people will stay at home. This is their wish. We honour their wish. They have total support for Gorkhaland."

On that the Calcutta High Court expressing displeasure over continuance of the bandh in the hills in the name of janata curfew, the spokesman replied, "We have not given any call for a janata curfew."

On whether shops and markets would be open during the five-day agitation, he said that none would stir out of their homes during the period. "All programs that will be announced from today will be by GJAC," Gorkka Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung said in a Facebook post.

On whether they would talk to West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan, the spokesman said that if the Governor invited them, they would talk to him. He also demanded intervention by the Central government to resolve the issue.

When asked about the fate of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the hill council, he said a resolution has already been passed at the earlier all-party meeting that "GTA was a failure and would be dissolved at an appropriate time. Today's meeting of the committee reiterated this."

Among the programmes announced were a human chain on August 26 when people would wear black bands and carry posters in support of Gorkhaland "to protest the attitude of the West Bengal government", he said.

Before that a 'rakhi procession' would be taken out on August 24 and 25.

The North Bengal Development minister in Siliguri said, "There is no difference between the bandh and janata andolan. It is nothing but a bandh and the state government will take steps to ensure normal life in the hills."

Deb also claimed that representatives of the BJP and Congress had attended an all party meeting called by the GJM during the day. "Straightway, these parties are supporting them and taking part in the movement seeking to divide Bengal," Deb said.

Deb demanded that WBPCC President Pradip Bhattacherjee take action against DCC Preisdent KB Chetri, a two-time party MP and others for attending the meeting. He also said, "This is not an all-party meeting. It is Bimal Gurung (GJM president)'s meeting."

The CPI(M), meanwhile, demanded that the state government immediately convene an all party meeting. "The state government should immediately call an all party meeting. It should clear its stand on the issue," CPI(M) central committee member Mohammed Salim said in Kolkata.

"Earlier by signing the tripartite agreement, the state government tried to hoodwink the people that it had brought back peace to the hills.

"But now the GJM is trying to hoodwink the Trinamool by changing the nomenclature of the agitation," said Salim.