WB govt may arrest 100 GJM supporters including Bimal Gurung

Deccan herald and agencies: With the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s (GJM) indefinite strike in support of Gorkhaland crossing 100 hours, the West Bengal government has launched an operation to arrest around 100 GJM supporters under various charges. 

GJM president Bimal Gurung might also be arrested. 

Meanwhile, Gurung may visit Delhi, reportedly to present his case before Rahul Gandhi, although government sources believe that his departure from the area is because he got whiff of the government’s plan to apprehend him. 

Deputy Inspector General (Special) of West Bengal Police, Shankar Chakraborty, admitted before reporters that the government would appeal before court for Gurung’s arrest. 

Insiders say that on July 9, he was given bail in a case from February 2011, which had charges of criminal intimidation, attempted murder of a government employee and possession of illegal arms. 

“He must know of the plan to revive the case. In July, there was no one to oppose, so he got bail, but now he could be in trouble,” said an official said. 

Hoping to render the agitation virtually ineffective, the Mamata Banerjee administration has made several administrative changes in the hills, reshuffling a number of senior IAS and IPS officers. 

According to sources, changing the district magistrate and inspector general of police for the particular region shows a motivated plan in action. While state Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee reached Darjeeling after a visit to Siliguri, Dooars and Terai in the plains, the pressure mounted by the sate government was felt at his reception, where agitated GJM supporters refused to let him enter. 

The senior bureaucrat had to leave the place after a visit to the local superintendent of police’s bungalow amidst slogan-shouting by strikers. The situation hinted that chances of a dialogue between the two parties are distant, for now. 

The home secretary, however, refuted Gurung’s allegation that nothing much was done for the hills, and told reporters that for the first time in many years, positive steps were being taken towards developing the region, since the formation of the autonomous administrative region of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), formed via electoral process last year. 

“We created 37 departments, which was never done before. Powers are also being handed over in compendium. Lot of work has been done, and the hill will witness a wave of development if things are allowed to be on track,” he told reporters. 

Banerjee pointed out that the state government has been cooperative, and at least 10 meetings were held with GJM leaders to work things out. (Source & Courtesy: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/349832/bengal-looks-quell-ongoing-gjm.html)