Hill strike on hold till October 20

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, Darjeeling, Sept. 10: The Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee, which is steering the statehood movement, today suspended the Darjeeling hill strike till October 20.

The suspension would be effective from tomorrow. Yesterday and today, the committee had allowed a strike relaxation window so that hill boarding school students could return to their campuses.

Classes are supposed to begin from September 13.

Although the joint action committee said it suspended the strike keeping in mind the Union home minister's assurance that a tripartite meeting would be held, sources privy to the meeting's proceedings said the hill leaders also took into consideration the approaching tourist season that starts from the first week of October and carries on till November- end, festival time — Saptami is on October 11, Dashami is on October 14 — and matter of bonus negotiations in tea gardens.

Today, Bimal Gurung replaced Enos Das Pradhan as the committee's president.

R. B. Rai, the president of the CPRM, one of the major parties in the hills, has been made the general secretary of the committee.

Das Pradhan, who has been made the chief advisor of the committee and spokesperson, said: " Honouring the assurance given by the Union home minister that a tripartite meeting would be convened, we have decided to suspend our agitation till October 20. Till then, we will be closely monitoring the attitude of the central government." Morcha MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri, who is another spokesperson for the committee, while speaking to journalists admitted today that the feeling that the Centre cannot take any decision on Darjeeling until next year's Lok Sabha election was at the back of the leaders' minds. " This fact was definitely at the back of the minds," Chhetri said.

The committee will meet on October 19 to decide the future course of the movement, which means that no strike would be called in the hills till then unless any drastic political development takes place.

From September 13, the Morcha would organise sit- ins in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and several other places from 11am to 5pm till October 20. " We request the supporters attending the dharna to come in our traditional attire to show that we are culturally different from the rest of Bengal," Das Pradhan said.

School students have been requested to fax to the central leaders between September 13 and 15 letters demanding the creation of statehood.

The committee's leaders reportedly said they did not discuss the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The post of GTA Sabha chief executive is vacant after Gurung's resignation in July- end.

Das Pradhan said the committee would soon file a PIL against the state government for not honouring the GTA memorandum of agreement.

" Clause 29 of the GTA memorandum of agreement clearly states that old cases against the Gorkhaland agitators would be withdrawn. This has not happened and we will file a PIL in the high court against the state government," he said.

The committee today also formed a legal cell to look into various legal matters regarding the agitation.

" Even during the daily dharna, ( from September 13 to October 20), our leaders will speak on the state government's atrocities. In between a number of public meetings will also be organised," Chhetri said.

The committee today condemned the state government's decision to deduct salaries of hill employees.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY AVIJIT SINHA