Gurung threatens to go ahead with ‘janta curfew’

GJM president Bimal Gurung today reiterated he would go ahead with his ‘janta curfew’ to counter the 72-hour deadline given by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to lift the ongoing indefinite strike. The GJM’s indefinite strike demanding for a separate Gorkhaland state ended its ninth day today.
“What will the state government do when the entire people decide to remain indoors; Will they shoot people?” asked Gurung. The GJM leadership has appealed to everyone to remain indoors on August 13 and 14 in order to make the curfew a success.  “This is the people’s movement and it cannot be suppressed by force,” said Gurung.
However, the party will celebrate Independence Day and its course of action post August 15 will be taken after an all-party meeting on Monday. To intensify the statehood movement, the GJM has called the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM), All India Gorkha League (AIGL), GNLF, CPI (M), Gorkhaland Task Force (GTF) and Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) along with the Hills unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress to participate in the meeting.
This will be followed by a meeting between GJM central committee members and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration elected members where key decisions are expected to be taken.
“We will call all the political parties of the Hills tomorrow and sit with them for a meeting. After that our central committee and GTA members will hold another meeting and chalk out future programmes,” informed GJM assistant secretary Raju Pradhan in a press meet at the party headquarters in Singamari.
The GJM today reportedly received a copy of the order issued by Kolkata High Court asking it along with the state government to respond within August 14 its directive to restore normalcy in the Hills.
“We have received a copy of the high court order asking us to depose before it within August 14. We respect the court but our movement for separate statehood is also our fundamental and constitutional right and hence we intend to continue,” said Pradhan. “Tomorrow we will picket and hold rallies as usual, but on August 13 and 14 our activists will not be seen picketing. People themselves will refrain from coming out on to the streets,” he added.
The GJM also attacked the state government for arresting it leaders in violation of the GTA agreement.
“GTA members are being arrested randomly by the police. But the state government wants to talk with us and also appoint the next GTA chief executive. How is this possible? This clearly shows the dual policy being adopted by the Bengal government to quash our agitation,” said Pradhan.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested Pranay Thapa, a GTA member from the Ambatay-Pankhabari area, and Laxman Rai, a GJM central committee member from Kurseong. “We have arrested some GJM activists and leaders from different places of the Hills. We are continuing our raids to arrest warrantees of the previous agitation period,” said a senior police official.
This was preceded by the arrest of four GJM activists from the Garidhura area in the afternoon and another senior party leader from Kalimpong last night. The police are conducting regular raids, with the high court asking them to submit a report on the actions being taken.
Meanwhile, boarding schools have started sending their students to their respective homes as the current crisis appears unlikely to change anytime sooner.  “We are sending students back home as the situation is not conducive. We have made all the arrangements as far as rations are concerned, but still cannot take any risks,” said a principal of a boarding school in Darjeeling.(EOI)