At least 10 supporters of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha were arrested on Monday on charges of creating mischief even as the first day of indefinite bandh in Darjeeling was marked by stray violence and incidents of fire, sources said.
While GJM rejected claims of its supporters’ involvement in Darjeeling, they accused the “agents” of Mamata Banerjee Government of “trying to malign us”. Also the Chief Minister has once again issued a “stern warning to those who are trying to create violence in the Hills,” saying “we will not tolerate the hoodlums and all those who are involved in disturbing peace will be brought to book and severe action will be taken against them.”
The GJM-called indefinite strike started in Darjeeling and adjoining areas of Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik amid heavy security bandobast while streets of the hill station wore a deserted look.
While an office of a PWD sub-assistant engineer was set on fire some miscreants were arrested for trying to torch the BDO office at Phulbazar in Bijonbari block, sources said. The panchayat office at Sukna was also ransacked by alleged GJM supporters though senior party leader Roshan Giri denied that his party men were connected with any kind of vandalism.
“If we wanted we could have amassed thousands of supporters on the streets to enforce the bandh but we just appealed to the conscience of the people and they have responded to us adequately,” said Giri adding the markets which were not under the purview of the bandh remained closed as the “traders backed the cause of Gorkhaland.”
Though educational institutions and markets were exempted from the bandh, however, most hotels and private office remained closed, sources said. “The situation is under control and all precautionary measures have been taken,” Darjeeling DM Joyoshi Dasgupta said.
He added “now the ball is in Centre’s court. The Bengal Government has forced us to raise the issue of Gorkhaland again and we will want the Centre to intervene and take an appropriate decision.”
Though the immediate trigger of the face off between the Trinamool Congress Government and the GJM was making Bengali language compulsory in all schools running in the State — the Chief Minister however said Bengali would only be optional in the Hills — the main reason behind the standoff was Banerjee’s decision to get accounts of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and other civic bodies run by the GJM “specially audited,” leading the GJM chief Bimal Gurung to allege, “TMC is trying to victimise us before the GTA elections” which would be due in a few months time.
Things came to a flash last week when GJM supporters torched a dozen vehicles, pelted stones and clashed with the police while Chief Minister was holding a Cabinet meeting along with her ministerial colleagues at Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling. The Army was promptly called out and had since been entrusted with patrolling the area.
Meanwhile, experts anticipated more trouble in a few days time as the hearing would be begin in Madan Tamang murder case in a Kolkata court when charges would be framed against the accused. The wife of the deceased Gorkha league leader had named a number of GJM stalwarts in the case.