Arrested GLP cadres: Court orders 14 days’ police remand .... Protests condemning GLP cadres’ arrest

Debasis Bhowmik, EOI, Siliguri, 6 August 2013: The Siliguri Court today ordered 14 days’ police remand to the 16 female members of the Gorkhaland Personnel who were arrested on Monday night from Gorubathan.

The 16 were arrested from a GTA rest house in Gorubathan on and taken to Naxalbari Police Station. When they were brought to the court premises, GJM supporters staged protests.

The Morcha has accused the police of arresting the 16 female GLP cadres without any valid reason on the orders of the state government. 
Terai GJM central committee member Shankar Adhikari said, “The police have arrested the 16 GLP cadres for no reason on orders of the state government. The government wants to demoralise our movement to make it a failure.”

The police have filed five cases under IPC bailable Acts along with a non-bailable case under CDPP Act Section 3.

Meanwhile, when the GLP cadres were presented before court, some Rastriya Shiv Sena supporters started a protest. Some of them even broke through the police barricade and entered the court premises. The police have arrested two RSS supporters including its secretary.

The 16 GLP cadres will be presented in court on August 20, said police sources.

EOI, Mirik, 6 August 2013: Mirik today witnessed scenes of anger and demonstrations following news of the arrest of 16 Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) in Gorubathan.

When the GLP cadres members were being taken to Siliguri via Darjeeling, agitated GJM supporters gathered at Mirik Bypass More and shouted slogans demanding their immediate release. Slogans against the police and chief minister Mamata Banerjee also rent the air.

Local GJM leaders alleged the state government is inciting violence in the Hills by deploying armed forces and arresting GLP cadres for no good reason. Mirik town wore a deserted look on the fourth day of the indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.

Meanwhile, in an interesting unfolding, children aged between three and 15 years took out rallies in Soureni and Mirik Bazaar this afternoon in demand of Gorkhaland. GJM central committee member Sandip Pradhan and divisional committee member Binod Khaling were among those who led the rally in Soureni, while the Mirik rally was spearheaded by the GJM women’s wing.

EOI, Kalimpong: Amid the GJM intensifying its agitation for a separate state, the state government has started arresting its leaders and activists in its bid to contain the movement. The police on Monday arrested 16 women Gorkhaland Personnel from a camp at Gorubathan under Kalimpong subdivision. 

They were presented today before Siliguri court and sent to 14 days’ judicial custody. The police have withheld information about where the 16 were kept on Monday night.

GJM vice president Col (Retd) Ramesh Allay has termed the arrest a shameful act. He said the arrest of the unarmed volunteers, and that too women, was an oppression tactic of the state government. 

In the meantime, GJM activists continued with their rallies, gheraos and streetcorners in Kalimpong today. Though there were no reports of violence, party cadres were seen excited and enraged by the news of the arrests. Fearing violence, the police arranged strong security across town.

Around 15,000 supporters pressing for Gorkhaland demonstrated in front of the Block Office for some time. By 11 in the morning, people had gathered by their thousands on the main road. They started a rally at Damber Chowk and passed through 10th Mile Fatak to finally reach the Block Office after circumambulating town. Back at Damber Chowk, the GJM supporters organised a street corner where speeches were delivered by women’s wing leaders Tara Lohar and Bandana Yonjon as well as Driver’s Association president Tshiring Dorjee Bhutia, among others.