Darjeeling: Hours after the UPA and the Congress Working Committee endorsed statehood for Telangana, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) announced an indefinite strike in northern West Bengal’s Darjeeling Hills from Saturday to press its demand for Gorkhaland.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung has also resigned as chief executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration — an autonomous and elected hill development council which the party has been running for a year.
The ruling Trinamool Congress made light of the developments and said it was prepared to tackle any problem. It ruled out any talks with the GJM.
GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said Gurung yesterday faxed his resignation to Governor M K Narayanan.
With the hills already paralysed following a 72-hour shutdown called by his party since Monday, Giri said an indefinite shutdown will be organised from Saturday to raise the pitch for the new state of Gorkahland to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts.
“We will go for indefinite shutdowns and our movement will not stop until our demand for Gorkhaland is met. We have already advised students to leave the hills and go to the plains,”
he said.
“Once the present 72-hour shutdown ends on Wednesday, we will give a two-day respite to the people to stock provisions and the tourists and the students to leave for the plains. The indefinite shutdown will begin Saturday,” he said.
“We have called an emergency meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) where we will chalk out our strategy. The other GTA members will also resign soon,” he said.
“The UPA has allowed the formation of Telengana. Now we are left with no choice but to intensify our movement for Gorkhaland. Our demand for a separate state is far more older than Telangana,” Giri claimed.
Countering the recent claims of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that there was “no apprehension of a division of Bengal”, the GJM leadership on Monday had threatened and cautioned the state government, saying the “demand for Gorkhaland will never die”.
IANS
