Central offices not spared this time
Posted by barunroy on January 6, 2009
FROM THE TELEGRAPH
Members of the Nari Morcha at a relay hunger strike in front of Darjeeling police station on Sunday, demanding the transfer of K.L.Tamta, the inspector-general of police (north Bengal). Picture by Suman Tamang
Darjeeling, Jan. 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has decided to renew its non-cooperation movement and has called for an indefinite closure of state and central government offices from Wednesday onwards.
The announcement was made by Morcha media and publicity secretary Binay Tamang today. “All state and central government offices in the areas we want as Gorkhaland will be shut from January 7,” said Tamang.
The Morcha had called for a complete closure of state government offices from December 8. They were allowed to reopen at the end of the month, keeping in mind the disbursement of salaries and the second tripartite meeting that was held in Delhi on the 29th.
The hill party had then left out central government offices from the purview of its shutdown.
This time, to put “more pressure”, the offices of the Union government has been included in the agitation. “However, we have decided to keep the banks, post offices and insurance offices out of the strike’s purview keeping in mind public convenience,” said Tamang.
The Morcha has also decided to allow the food and supplies department to remain open on Mondays and Tuesdays.
In another development, the Gorkha Janmukti Bhutpurba Sainik Morcha has decided to hold a rally in Siliguri tomorrow. “The rally will be held to protest against the terrorist attack in the country. We are expecting about 7,000 ex-servicemen and Gorkhaland Personnel (a voluntary unit of the Morcha ) at attend the meeting,” said Col (retd) Ramesh Allay, the president of the former army men’s organisation.
The rally will start from near the Bhaktinagar police outpost and will march to Salugara, 3km from Siliguri town, where a public meeting will be held. “Since we are a frontal organisation of the Morcha , we are expecting some central committee members to address the public meeting,” said Allay.
This is the first time that the ex-servicemen will be bringing out a rally in the Siliguri subdivision after clashes on April 9.
The administration had then refused permission to a procession of ex-servicemen to proceed beyond Darjeeling More, but the former jawans had gone ahead and in a clash with police, 27 of them were injured.
“This time we do not want any trouble. We have got the permission from the administration,” said Allay.
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RELATED STORY
Hills to observe shutdown from 7 January
FROM THE STATESMAN
Kurseong, Jan. 5: In continuation of its non-cooperation movement against the Centre and the state government, the GJM would keep all government establishments closed in the Darjeeling Hills from 7 January. According to the party spokesperson Mr Binay Tamang, all the state and the Central government offices would remain shut, as would the DGHC offices.
However, all banks, insurance companies, post offices and emergency services of BSNL and electricity department would remain open, Mr Tamang, said.
Meanwhile, protesting against party leader Subodh Pradhan’s murder the GJM women’s wing organised a rally in Kurseong town demanding exemplary punishment of those accused in the murder.
The supporters threatened a jail bharo aandolan, if any GJM supporter was arrested in connection with last week’s hostilities in Kurseong.
