Morcha refrains from strike
Posted by barunroy on May 15, 2008
Darjeeling/Siliguri, May 14: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today decided against calling an indefinite strike in the hills even though police had failed to meet a seven-day deadline for arresting three CPM leaders. [Inset: Supporters of Kamtapur People’s Party and All-Kamtapur Students’ Organisation demonstrate in front of the divisional commissioner’s office. Picture by Biplab Basak]
The hill party had demanded the arrest of Jibitesh Sarkar, Mukul Sengupta and Shankar Ghosh, who had been named in an FIR for allegedly assaulting Morcha supporters in Siliguri on May 2. The Morcha deadline for their arrest got over yesterday.
The CPM has denied the charges.
“Since the police have arrested six persons based on video recordings of the incident and have forwarded them to court, we have decided not to start any agitation from tomorrow,” Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Morcha, said today.
Political observers believe that the Morcha, which had revived the Gorkhaland demand in the hills, was under pressure not to call strikes as tourists have finally started trickling into Darjeeling. The economy of the hills largely depends on tourism.
“Moreover, it is now time to look beyond Siliguri because the statehood discussions have to be taken to Delhi and Calcutta. Getting tied down by local politics will not help,” said an observer.
In Siliguri, state CPM secretary Biman Bose today said his party was against the formation of smaller states and added that the Bengal government should take effective steps to check the turmoil in the hills.
“Once the panchayat polls are over, the state government should take up the issue and take appropriate and effective steps to maintain democracy and peace in the hills,” Bose told reporters here today.
As for smaller states, Bose said: “History says that the creation of smaller states slows down progress and development and our party is against it.”
In another development, supporters of the Kamtapur People’s Party and the Dhubri-based All Kamtapur Students’ Organisation, submitted a memorandum to Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner B.L. Meena today to protest against the Morcha’s demand of including the Terai, Dooars and Siliguri in the new state it is demanding.
The move is in contrast to the stance of Kamtapur Progressive Party led by Atul Roy and the Greater Cooch Behar Democratic Party, which are supporting the Morcha’s movement. [The Telegraph]
