West Bengal govt pulls plug on GJM funding: Targets contributors to quash movement

Raju Adhikari, The republica, JHAPA, Aug 25: In yet another attempt to pull the plug on the ongoing protests demanding a separate Gorkhaland state in India, the West Bengal state government has adopted a new policy of blocking the source of financing of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which has been spearheading the agitation for over three weeks. 

The West Bengal government has started arresting businessmen, contractors and office employees who have been providing financial support to the protests led by GJM. Although most of those arrested were subsequently released on condition of withholding cooperation to the protest, the agitators have concluded that the state government is hell bent on blocking off their funding source to nip the movement in the bud. 

According to Gorkhaland activists, the West Bengal government has included in its most wanted list the names of businessmen lending a hand in the protests. The activists also informed that half the 800 supporters arrested so far were financial supporters. 

“People have rejected rations provided by the government. Instead, they have been accepting the relief provided by GJM, and this is causing a headache for the government,” Jiban Pakhrin, a GJM leader in the Kharsang area, informed. 

“So, with the government"s move, our financial supporters in the inner areas are being targeted rather than our leaders,” Pakhrin added. 

Pakhrin further informed that the West Begal government has deployed a huge number of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel elsewhere in the Darjeeling area to suppress the movement. The security personnel deployed in Kharsang, Kalimpong, Mirik, Dudhiya, Sonada and Sukuna areas have been targeting businessmen, contractors and employees living in those areas. 

“These businessmen are neither GJM leaders nor have they been taking to the streets with placards demanding Gorkhaland. But the security personnel have been arresting them one after another. Now it is obvious the government is planning to mop up GJM"s sources of financing to affect the movement,” 

Pakhrin told Republica. Nepali speaking businessmen in Darjeeling area are the main source of financing for the protest movement. Meanwhile, the numbers of people fleeing Darjeeling for Nepal have increased substantively after West Bengal police started targeting locals know to be Gorkhaland supporters in their community. 

To evade arrest, they have been living in hotels and with relatives in bordering Nepali towns in Jhapa and Ilam. “We have been blamed for providing financial support to the movement.” said Sushil Chhetri, a teacher in Panighatta area, who fled to Nepal and has been living in a hotel in Kakadvitta along with 21 friends for three days now. 

“So we had to leave our places at night to come here. The number of people leaving Darjeeling for Nepal to evade arrest has crossed 1,000,” said Chhettri. “

Police have spared those surrendering to the authorities and promising to stop supporting the Gorkhaland movement,” he added. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been planning to visit the Darjeeling hills from the first week of September. 

At the same time, GJM has been planning a huge protest when Banerjee comes to attend a function of the Lepcha community on September 2. 

(Republished from : Source & Courtesy: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=60144)