GJM calls for bandhs to revive Gorkhaland issue
With the administrative-level tripartite talks on Gorkhaland failing to yield results, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and Bangla O Bangla Bhasa Bachao Samiti (BBBBS) have called for two consecutive bandhs for three days in the Hills.
While the GJM has called a 48-hour bandh from Saturday in the wake of its demand to include Siliguri and a part of Dooars in the interim Hill Council has been turned down in the tripartite talks in Delhi on May 11, the BBBBS, an anti-Gorkhaland organisation, has called a 24-hour West Bengal bandh on Friday in protest against the government holding talks with the GJM.
The GJM has also called a 10-day bandh from June 12.
Significantly, the GJM was demanding political-level talks to demarcate the territory of their proposed interim authority. GJM president Bimal Gurung, who had earlier sent a proposal to the Centre for an interim setup in the Hills till December 31, 2011, told a public meeting in Kalimpong that the party was going back to its demand for Gorkhaland.
It may be noted that the official-level talks have failed to make a headway on May 11 owing to GJM’s insistence on discussing the territorial jurisdiction of the proposed interim authority.
These bandhs come even as the indefinite office bandh in Darjeeling Hills entered the fourth day on Thursday. “Since the demand for inclusion of Siliguri and adjoining areas in the interim hill council has been turned down, we will not settle for anything less than a separate state of Gorkhaland,” GJM assistant secretary Benoy Tamang said.
Also the proposed political level tripartite talks at the end of this month should have the territorial demand of the GJM on its agenda, or else it would not participate, he said.
State home secretary Samar Ghosh, who represented the state at the tripartite talks had said on Wednesday that government wanted the interim authority to be set up first before determining its territorial jurisdiction.
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