Bimal Gurung refuses to lift strike

The Union government has given positive response to the party’s delegation presently in Delhi, today claimed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung. Even so, he dismissed any proposals of providing relaxation to the ongoing indefinite strike heralding a new agitation called in demand of a separate state.
This comes after the six-member delegation led by party general secretary Roshan Giri reached Delhi on August 3 to try and persuade the government to consider Gorkhaland along with a Telangana state.
The GJM leader is also expected to head to Delhi in a couple of days to meet prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
“Our party delegation has informed the Union government has given a positive response. In fact, once my meeting with Rahul Gandhi is fixed, I will leave for Delhi which could be any day,” said Gurung outside the party office in Singamari.
He however, ruled out providing relaxation to the ongoing indefinite strike and instead left it to the people’s wish. “This is an intensified agitation and the final struggle for statehood. I will not back out. People too are constantly asking me not to loosen the agitation. Under such a circumstance, I have decided to leave it to the people,” said Gurung.
On the question about the state government’s assertion it would run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), Gurung asked instead, “Can the state government run the GTA from Writer’s in Kolkata?”
Meanwhile, state home secretary Basudeb Banerjee is presently in Darjeeling to assess and review the actual situation. He met district administration officials, police department and the GTA principal secretary in Lalkhoti today.
“Let him (Banerjee) come to the Hills, the weather is suitable for recuperation,” joked Gurung.
Later in the day, the state home secretary had to contend with a jeering GJM crowd at the main gate of the district magistrate’s office. He had to be escorted by central forces even as the crowd chanted “We want Gorkhaland, state government go back”.
“The present state government has done a lot to develop the Hills and pumped in funds. We have sat with GJM leaders on 10 occasions since June last year to discuss ways to develop the region,” said the state home secretary before leaving for Kolkata, while refusing to comment on the future of the GTA and talks with the GJM to resolve the present crisis.
The GJM chief also castigated the state government for letting loose the police on party supporters and leaders but said sacrifices had to be made. “Supporters and leaders are willing to be arrested for the sake of Gorkhaland. It (being arrested) is part of our agitation. But like they go in they will return back after some days,” Gurung asserted.
Last night, the police registered 32 arrests in different raids including 29 warrantees in various cases. Three Gorkhaland Personnel (GLPs) have also been arrested, while 16 GJM supporters arrested earlier and produced before Darjeeling court today were denied bail, even as the fifth day of the indefinite strike remained peaceful across the Hills.(EOIC)