Gorkhaland Movement Joint Action Committee plans a Delhi-centric agitation

The GLMCC will form two teams. The teams will be meeting the Governor of West Bengal and Governor of Sikkim.

Darjeeling, July 18, 2017: The Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GLMCC- a conglomeration of pro Gorkhaland outfits) has decided to planned a Delhi-centric agitation for the separate state demand. A GLMCC meeting on Tuesday resolved that the indefinite bandh which was clamped on June 15 in the Hills, would continue.

"Our agitation for Gorkhaland henceforth will be Delhi-centric. The indefinite bandh will however continue." stated Kalyan Dewan, Coordinator, GLMCC, talking to media persons after a meeting in Kalimpong on Tuesday.

The GLMCC will form two teams. The teams will be meeting the Governor of West Bengal and Governor of Sikkim.

Incidentally Sikkim has also been bearing the brunt of the ongoing agitation with the National Highway 10, the link road to Gangtok from the plains, also in the purview of the bandh. There have been reports of alleged attack on Sikkim vehicles on the NH10 and in Siliguri.

"We will apprise the Governors of the present political situation of the Hills and about the police excesses. 8 Gorkhaland activists are already dead" stated Dewan.

The GLMCC will be holding hunger strikes and dharnas in Delhi. GLMCC teams will also be meeting heads of different political parties in Delhi to muster support for the Gorkhaland demand.

The conglomeration demanded immediate intervention of the Union Government in the Darjeeling impasse. The GLMCC will be meeting in Delhi on August 1.

Interestingly Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders including General Secretary Roshan Giri; Central committee member PT Ola and Swaraj Thapa are already camping in Delhi. The 3 GJM Members of Legislative Assembly, at present camping in Kolkata are scheduled to join them in Delhi soon. The 3 MLAs will be accompanying the GLMCC team to meet the West Bengal Governor in Kolkata.

Meanwhile Mirik turned into a political hotbed over the death of Asish Tamang, a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activist allegedly in police firing on Monday night. Violence continued throughout Tuesday.

On Monday, Pratapgaon, Ward 7, Mirik witnessed clashes between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and GJM supporters following a GJM rally. One Nauraj Tamang of TMC was grievously injured and is undergoing treatment at a private nursing home in Siliguri.

Anand Rai, a GJM activist was also injured in the clash. The police arrested Kailash Tamang, a GJM supporter which prompted a gherao of the Mirik police station. Clashes broke out between security forces and the GJM. Police vehicles were torched and a junior constable was injured.
GJM supporters allege that security forces opened fire killing 36 year old Asish Tamang of Mangarjung. Refuting allegation police claimed that they had not fired but had only burst tear gas shells.

"The police had to intervene following clashes between two political outfits in Mirik." stated Akhilesh Chaturvedi, Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling.

TMC leaders however claimed that they were constantly being threatened. "We are being constantly threatened, attacked and our properties vandalised. Why attack us?" questioned Rajen Mukhia, President, TMC, Darjeeling (Hills.)

The GJM however claimed that it is the TMC launching attacks on the GJM in Mirik. "Our supporters were attacked by the TMC. The police fired on our activists instead" alleged GJM leader Phoebe Rai.

Situation was tense in Mirik on Tuesday. The police station was gheraoed by GJM supporters. The Municipality building along with the Land and Land Reforms Office in Mirik were vandalised. The house of Poonam Sewa, TMC Municipal Councillor of Ward 2 was vandalised. Vehicles were torched.

At around 6pm a procession accompanying Asish Tamang's deadbody went amok. Tamang's dead body was being brought to Mirik from Siliguri after post mortem. The BDO office was vandalised along with a vehicle torched. Police resorted to tear gas shell bursting to quell the mob. The army was also called in.

In Darjeeling GJM supporters brought out a rally. The rally then gheraoed the District Magistrate's office located at Lebong Cart Road.

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