100 hours of Darj bandh, 100 jailed

THT, DARJEELING 7 August 2013: Senior Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) member Anit Thapa, a close aide of party chief Bimal Gurung, was arrested even as life continued to be disrupted in the Darjeeling Hills for the fourth day on Tuesday because of the indefinite bandh called by the Morcha. HT PHOTO A GJM team meets Union finance minister P Chidambaram in Delhi on Tuesday. 

More than 100 people have been arrested since the launch of the agitation on Saturday. Thapa, a Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) member from Kurseong, was arrested on Monday night and sent to judicial custody for 14 days on various charges. 

“He has been charged under Section 436 (Arson) IPC and sent to judicial custody by the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court, Kurseong,” Ashok Sharma of the GJM’s legal cell said. The arrest is being seen as the state government’s move to put pressure on the GJM, which has stepped up its demand for Gorkhaland after the Centre okayed a Telangana state. 

In New Delhi, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh said Gorkhaland must be given the status of a separate state and accused the Congress of giving in to the Telangana state demand for the sake of votes. 

“The demand for Gorkhaland is the oldest and the most important demand for a new state, because Darjeeling is the only part of the country which shares four international borders. If there is any prospect of stopping Bangladeshi infiltration, it is the creation of Gorkhaland,” he said. GJM chief Gurung is likely to visit Delhi on Wednesday to meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the statehood issue, Morcha sources said. 

“We are trying for an appointment with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. If the appointment is fixed for August 8, I will depart on August 7,” said Gurung in Darjeeling on Tuesday. 

The urgency in his voice was evident. Gurung is looking for a breather to emerge from Delhi. The GJM team camping in Delhi met Union finance Minister P Chidambaram and rural development minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday. “We apprised the ministers of the ground reality and how the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration failed. We told them that only Gorkhaland can fulfill our aspiration. 

Their response was very positive,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri. Meanwhile, GJM backed BJP MP Jaswant Singh on Tuesday pulled up the state government for allegedly distancing themselves from Darjeeling by not opening up political discourse with Darjeeling. “This is worrisome and very negative,” said Singh. 

He also did not spare the Congress stating that by deciding to carve out Telangana the Congress has been indulging in vote bank politics. Supporting the Gorkhaland demand, Singh said, The situation in Darjeeling is a matter of great national concern.” Home secretary Basudeb Banerjee arrived in Darjeeling on Tuesday and held a meeting with administrative and top police officers. “I am here to assess the situation. 

I have had extensive discussions and will be meeting some more people on Wednesday,” Banerjee said. Meanwhile, the fourth day of the bandh saw rallies and demonstrations by Morcha supporters in front of the district collectorate. 

They were, however, prevented from entering the collectorate premises by the central forces and personnel of the Rapid Action Force and the Indian Reserve Battalion. 

In Darjeeling town, 24 people were produced at the chief judicial magistrate’s court for blocking state and national highways. 

“Fifteen people arrested for blocking the state highway have been released on bail while the remaining 9 were sent to judicial custody,” Pankaj Prasad, assistant public prosecutor, Darjeeling, said.