Gorkhaland issue: Life paralysed in Darjeeling hills

SILIGURI-

Normal life in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district was paralysed on Tuesday as Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) enforced a second spell of indefinite bandh in the area to press for its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

Shops, markets, business establishments, banks and post offices were closed and vehicles remained off the roads after the bandh resumed from 6 pm on Monday after a five-day break. The National highway 31A linking Sikkim's capital Gangtok with Siliguri passing through Kalimpong sub-division was blocked by GJM activists, virtually cutting off the Himalayan state from the rest of the country, officials said.

All state and Central government offices also remained closed and the heritage Toy Train, a major tourist attraction, did not run. However, there were reports of normal work in tea gardens and schools and collages as these were kept outside the purview of the bandh. The Inspector General of Police (North Bengal), K L Tamta, said that situation in the hills remained peaceful. GJM has also announced that it would stage relay hunger strikes in many places in Siliguri and Dooars from 11 am on Tuesday, causing concern to the police and administration. The administration, as a precautionary measure, promulgated prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC in both the areas, which saw clashes between pro and anti-Gorkhaland outfits last week. The General Secretary of GJM, Roshan Giri, said that GJM would go for the hunger strike as per schedule at least at four places in Siliguri and five places in Dooars despite the prohibitory order. "We are not interested in violence and it is upto the police to deal with the situation," Giri said.