Strike

TT, 18 August 2013: “We are making announcements, urging our members to keep their shops open and requesting people in general to keep life normal.”

The Darjeeling district Congress leadership, which has been silent so far on the hill issue, has decided to organise an “amity march” across Siliguri at 11am tomorrow.

This is the first time that a political party has decided to come out with a specific programme on a bandh day, called by an anti-Gorkhaland organisation.

“We are against any strike which is thrust on people of Siliguri by some organisations, which do not have even 10 people as supporters. Such strikes largely affect the economy of Siliguri and are deterrent to the amity between the hills and plains,” Shankar Malakar, the Darjeeling district Congress president said.

“Tomorrow, thousands of Congress workers will walk in the streets, soliciting peace and amity and would appeal to defy the strike. We would request the state government and the district administration to take harsh steps in case those who have called the bandh, try to create any trouble,” Malakar added.

Deb said: “We appreciate the decision of the business community, the transporters and people from all walks of life to defy the strike imposed on us. We expect that life would remain perfectly normal in Siliguri tomorrow. The administration would take steps in case there is any trouble.”

Siliguri has been suffering the problem of bandh and strikes for past six-seven years, particularly after the resumption of Gorkhaland movement by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in 2007, called by outfits such as the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee and Amra Bangali.

Between 2007 and 2011, these outfits called at least four strikes on an average every year, all of which were successful.