Situation in Darjeeling likely to go from Bad to Worse, .... Gurung not ready to revert, state serious on shutting down electricity supply

Vivek Ghatani, Siliguri August 5: Situation in the Darjeeling hills seems getting tougher as the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) called indefinite bandh entered its third day with no sign of any interim breather. If the GJM chief publicly announced today that he is ready to take on the state government’s act of suppressing the Gorkhaland demand, reports flowed which stated that the state government is seriously considering stopping supply of electricity keeping the entire hills in dark. 

Although all eyes are glued on the delegation of the GJM which is camping in New Delhi meeting central leaders that could bring out a solution to the hill impasse, Bimal Gurung the GJM chief is in no mood to revert back. “The death of a GJM activitist Rajput will not go in vain. The goal for which he died will be achieved. I have not come out this time to revert back,” Gurung told the gathering who had gathered for the last rites. He warned, “The GJM will intensify its agitation more if the state government did not stop its repression of the hill people. No negotiations will be held with the state government any more”. 

Rajput had self immolated seven days ago during the 72 hours bandh called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) following protests by Morcha activists while trying to enforce the bandh. The Darjeeling hills which is in a furious mode over creation of Gorkhaland spurred by the centres decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh carving out Telengana is set for a recall of the 1986 agitation lead by the GNLF then. 

But then, with state seriously considering a tit for tat ploy by thinking of putting a stop on the supply of electricity to the hills the situation is likely to go from bad to worst. The state government’s initiative to stop electricity comes at the wake of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that had earlier during the 44 months agitation before signing the GTA agreement had asked the hill people not to pay the electricity and telephone bills. There are also apprehension among many in the State Government that the GJM in course of its political agitation will issue similar diktat asking the people in the hills to once again stop paying taxes and various kinds of bills including electricity and telephone. The State Government cash stripped as it is, will not be able to bear it and there will be no option but to stop the services and direct it to somewhere else from where it could garner some revenue. 

Interestingly, protest against Gorkhaland continues in the plains of North Bengal. 

Veteran Freedom Fighter Dr. Haripad Pal has announced that he will be fasting unto death against the demand for the separate state of Gorkhaland. Speaking to Scribes he said that he was against the spread of instability and violence in the Dooars Terai due to the Gorkhaland Movement being pursued in the hills. He said that the present instability that had been witnessed in the hills was due to the conspiracy hatched by the Central Government which was keen on dividing Bengal. He said that the persistent Gorkhaland Movement has been causing a great deal of nuisance and instability to the adjoining Dooars Terai region. 

Meanwhile, the Raman hydel power project, which had been shut down by the statehood agitators on Saturday, resumed work during the day with CRPF's help, official sources said.