GJM warn administration of dire consequences,continues hunger strike

Siliguri, Nov 13 (UNI) The district administration's drive to delete 'Gorkhaland' from the signboards borne by the government and private offices in the hills was rendered unsuccessful following strong opposition from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists today.

Police said Deputy Magistrate (Siliguri) Samita Pradhan, along with the Pradhannagar police station personnel, embarked on a programme to delete 'Gorkhaland' from the signboards borne by the government and private offices in hills, including Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong.

The drive, which began from the banks of Panchnoi river, near the National Highway 55 under Pradhannagar police station, faced strong opposition from the GJM activists, which resulted in a scuffle that made the administration retreat, police added.

Warning the district administration of serious consequences, GJM branch secretary (Torai and Dooars) Madhusudan Thapa said, ''We will continue opposing the district administraion's drive to delete Gorkhaland.'' Meanwhile, the students' wing of GJM continued their relay hunger strike in the hills for the third day in demand for a second tripartite meeting in New Delhi on the issue of Gorkhaland immediately.

Simultaneously, the Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League activists had been staging demonstrations in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong for the past three to four days.

The DSP (Darjeeling) claimed that the law and order situation was under control in the hills, adding no untoward incident had been reported so far.

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