GJM meet to decide movement course, Bengal seeks more para-military

Darjeeling, Jul 3 (UNI) Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has called a central committee meeting to decide on future course of action as its suspension of indefinite strike in the hills will end on the night of July five.

GJM spokesman Binoy Tamang today said the central committee meet on July 4/5 would first review the outcome of two meetings the party leaders had in Delhi and Kolkata and then decide the course of action.

Mr Tamang said the central committee meeting would also review the outcome of an open meeting at Chowk Bazar this evening.

He said GJM leaders Roshan Giri and Amar Lama would address the public meeting to tell the people what they had in the talks with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Mr Giri and Mr Lama led two 4-member teams respectively to Delhi and Kolkata at the end of last month.

Sources close to Bimal Gurung said the GJM supremo was in favour of further suspension of strike in view of fluid national political scenario over the nuke deal and subsequent Left threats of withdrawing support to the Monmohan Singh government.

The Central government has told the GJM not to do anything that creates blockade on highway leading to Sikkim.

Sikkim has been severely affected since separate Gorkaland state movement began in mid-eighties, as the landlocked strategic state suffered much in development owing to unrest elsewhere.

A joint task force comprising Army, CRPF and local administration was formed to ensure that the National Highway 31A remained open round the clock.

Meanwhile, a Siliguri report said the state government has sought more para-military forces for North Bengal's districts.

IG (Law and Order) Raj Konojia yesterday said the government has sought more forces to man the districts of Darjeeling, Coochbehar and Jalpaiguri. Currently six companies of CRPF were deployed in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri from second week of last month after pro and anti-Gorkhaland supporters inflicted injuries on policemen.

State Home secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty visited here two days back and held a high level meeting with senior security officials and reviewed the law and order situation.

Sub divisional officer Smita Pandey will have a meeting later today to decide the areas where the central forces would be housed.

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