100 days of hill shutdown

Customers at a Darjeeling market on Friday

TT: The indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the Darjeeling hills entered the 100th day on Friday.

The Telegraph scans the 100 days, during which 16 people have lost their lives.

The trigger

On June 8, Morcha supporters protesting the government's decision to make Bengali compulsory in schools fought a pitched battle with police just 200 metres from Darjeeling Raj Bhavan, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee was chairing a cabinet meeting.

Following a police raid on Morcha president Bimal Gurung's office at Patlebas on June 15, the party announced an indefinite shutdown.

By then, Gorkhaland had become the movement's larger goal.

Gurung moves away

After the raid, Gurung surrounded himself with more than 100 youths in Tukvar area, the Morcha's nerve-centre. Given the "tense" situation, Gurung's interactions with the public thinned but he remained in Tukvar. For nearly two months, there were frequent clashes between statehood supporters and the police, causing several deaths. Rallies across the hills were a regular affair.

After waiting for nearly two months, the police started inching towards Patlebas and eventually took complete control of the area. Gurung appeared in Ging Tea Estate on August 15 and said he was being forced to "stay in a jungle".

Blasts lead to schism

A series of mild explosions took place in the hills since August 19. Gurung and some other Morcha leaders were booked under provisions of the stringent UAPA, forcing them to go into hiding and the agitation to become rudderless.

Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa of the Morcha said they were getting disillusioned with Gurung's leadership.

Stage set for talks

The GNLF wrote to the chief minister to initiate talks to end the stalemate. Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri also issued a media release stating that Gurung, too, had written a similar letter.

But Mamata said she had received letters only from GNLF president Mann Ghisingh and Tamang.

Hardship hits people

A sudden call for strike meant people had little time to prepare. Even though foodgrain is available, liquid cash has become a problem. Tea garden workers have gone without wages for three months and most government employees and GTA staff have not received salary.

3 sectors affected

Education, tourism and tea have been the hardest hit.