GJM supporters gherao DM office, 19 arrested

EOI, Darjeeling, 6 August 2013: The third day of the indefinite bandh passed off peacefully in the Hills even as hundreds of picketers gheraoed the district magistrate office in Darjeeling for more than four hours.

Barring the SDO and additional district magistrate, all other government employees refrained from joining duty today.

GJM chief Bimal Gurung had asked supporters and the general public on Sunday to gather en masse at picketing points to show their support for the Gorkhaland statehood demand.  

“All government offices were closed today. The DM’s office too was out of bounds even though central forces were deployed. This shows the people’s solidarity towards the separate statehood demand,” claimed GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang.

Thousand of GJM supporters, braving the morning downpour, gathered at Chowk Bazaar to join in a massive rally that converged at the district magistrate’s office.

GJM picketers were seen manning the streets of town since early morning. In the afternoon, a crowd of supporters started shouting slogans against the state government and in support of the statehood demand.

The youth wing of the party organized a 10 km barefoot walk from Ghoom to Darjeeling after Saturday’s body-rolling demonstration.  “More than 200 youths walked barefoot for 10 km to express
solidarity to the movement. We want to achieve a separate state by democratic means, but the state government must not instigate us,” said Gorkha Janmukti Yuwa Morcha (GJYM) vice president Sanjay Thulung.

Towards, evening statehood supporters organised a torch rally in town for the where they paid their respects to Mangal Singh Rajput, the GJM supporter who had immolated himself on July 30 in Kalimpong and passed away on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested 19 GJM activists from across the Hills on charges of arson and vandalising of government properties and blocking National Highway 31A and other thoroughfares.

Twelve GJM supporters were produced in Darjeeling court this morning. While three are out on bail, the remaining nine have been sent to the Darjeeling Correctional Home.

The state government has sent 16 platoons of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Special Striking Force (SSF) along with five companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) that includes a company of a lady force. They have been deployed across the Hills and NH 31A to keep the only link to neighbouring Sikkim free from disturbances.