In a sign that looked rather ominous for the people of Darjeeling ahead of the tourist season, Friday saw the ongoing general strike being enforced more vigorously in the mountains a day after Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief coordinator Benay Tamang declared temporary lifting of the bandh much to the chagrin of the party chief Bimal Gurung who remained defiant saying there was no question of suspending the strike even for a day.
Tamang had on Thursday declared the suspension of strike after the first round of talks in Kolkata between the State Government and a delegation of Hill outfits.
Before the people of the strike-torn districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong could begin to rejoice the temporary breathing space provided by Tamang himself became the victim of fierce factionalism within his outfit.
He was not only promptly removed from the post of chief coordinator following a GJM central committee meeting a band of party supporters on Friday raided and ransacked his house. While another senior leader Roshan Giri gave his full backing to Gurung who was in hiding after the police booked him under UAPA following a series of blasts in the Hills the GJM chief’s cautious decision to only remove Tamang from his post — and not expel or even suspend him for allegedly going “against our party decision” — did not go unnoticed by the experts who said Gurung was loath to risk a vertical split in his party at a time when he was under pressure from all the sides including the State Government and the people to lift the bandh.
He would also not want to allow rival outfit GNlF which was fast regaining popularity in the Hills any vantage point by losing Tamang a popular leader. Darjeeling entered its 81st day of strike on Friday. The strike was earlier lifted till September 12 when the second round of talks would take place in Siliguri. Though he also wanted to come out of the mess ahead of the festive and tourism seasons the reason behind Gurung’s vetoing the suspension of strike was twofold sources said.
“First he wants a verbal assurance from the administration that charges under UAPA would be dropped against. Secondly he does not want the leadership to go into the hands of Tamang who has been gaining popularity for speaking for the common people who want an exit route from the strike without dropping the demand for a separate Gorkhaland State,” a ‘neutral’ GJM leader requesting anonymity said.
Meanwhile, following Gurung and Giri’s rejection of Tamang’s proposal the GJM supporters on Friday descended on the streets apparently to prove a point by implementing the ongoing strike more vigorously.
“Not even a dog walked on the street as the Hills remained completely shut largely on account of a fear of violence and intra-group clashes,” a local journalist said.