Ongoing Indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills to continue

Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee to spearhead movement

Darjeeling, June 29, 2017: The indefinite bandh clamped in the Darjeeling Hills since June 15 is to continue. It will not be lifted nor will there be any relaxation of the bandh.

A 6 hour long all party meeting in Kalimpong on Thursday decided that the indefinite bandh will continue. A 30 member Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GLMCC) was constituted in Thursday's meeting. The committee has 2 representatives from the 13 political and apolitical parties present in the meeting along with 2 representatives from the Terai and 2 from the Dooars.

"Henceforth the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will not lead the ongoing agitation but it will be led by the GLMCC. There will be collective programmes in which all the constituent parties and organizations will take part" stated Binay Tamang, Assistant Secretary, GJM.

The Committee will be headed by GJM Vice President Kalyan Dewan as the Convenor and he will be assisted by GJM Central Committee member and the Chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality DK Pradhan.

The Committee will be meeting again on July 6 to chalk out future programmes for the Gorkhaland agitation. "If the situation demands we will launch a fast unto death" stated Dawa Pakhrin, President of the Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, a constituent of the GLMCC.

Incidentally GJM walking the agitation path for Gorkhaland had clamped an indefinite bandh in the Hills since June 15. Other pro Gorkhaland forces came together giving a call for a collective movement. There were two meeting earlier on June 13 and June 20th to give shape to the collective movement.

The continuation of the indefinite bandh is being read as a pressure tactics on the Central Government to invite the Hill parties for talks. Though the Hills have been demanding immediate Central intervention in the ongoing Darjeeling impasse, it is yet to see the light of day. The pro Gorkhaland forces have shut their doors to the State Government.

Meanwhile GJM President Bimal Gurung's resignation from the post of Chief Executive, GTA, was accepted on Thursday by Keshari Nath Tripathi, Governor of West Bengal. All the GJM elected and nominated members of the GTA had tendered resignation from the Gorkhaland Territorial Adminstration on June 23, 2017.

The 5 year long tenure of the GTA -an autonomous administrative body expires on June 30. "The GTA was an obstruction to Gorkhaland hence we have scrapped it" stated GJM leader Binay Tamang.

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