Kolkata: Darjeeling on Monday was peaceful, with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha allowing a 12-hour relaxation of their bandh on the occasion of Id-ul-Fitr. However, the Yuva Morcha in the evening announced that their movement would intensify from Tuesday and some of them would start a fast unto death for their demand of Gorkhaland.
Prakash Gurung, a leader of the Yuva Morcha held a meeting in late afternoon and told reporters, “Three of our brothers have died in police firing. However, the Centre and the state are silent. Our movement will intensify from Tuesday.”
The Morcha leadership has decided to set fire to the tripartite agreement of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) that was signed between them, the Centre and the state five years ago. Pintel village, where the agreement was singed, has been chosen to burn the documents. “There will be a symbolic setting of fire to the agreement copies in the plains of Siliguri and Doars also ,” Mr Gurung added.
A large police contingent led by senior IPS officers Siddhinath Gupta, Manoj Verma and SP Darjeeling Akhilesh Chaturvedi were seen in area domination as they marched Chawkbazar to the DM office and then went to Singmari area, covering up a large stretch of the Hills. There was no rally on the part of the Morcha supporters. However, they were seen distributing vegetables, mainly cabbage, and fruits to the people. Ex-armymen took out a silent procession in support of the demand for a separate Gorkhaland.
Three GJM leaders, including their MLA Amar Rai, submitted their resignations to governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata in the morning and apprised him of the prevailing situation there. Roshan Lama and Rabindra Lama were the two others who accompanied Mr Rai to submit their resignation.
All 43 elected members of the GTA, including its chief executive Bimal Gurung, had announced their resignation from the GTA a few days ago. Although transport service was on during the day as said by the GJM, shops and markets were closed. Sources in the police administration said that they would submit a report on Darjeeling expectedly on Tuesday to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We think talks can bring be a solution to the unrest. We realise that we should be patient with the Morcha resorting to agitation in a democratic manner. However, we should be prepared if they challenge us by any means,” a senior police official said.
