‘Taliban-style disturbance in Hills will not be tolerated’

SNS, Kolkata, 10 September 2013: The state government will not tolerate any Taliban-like destructive movement in Darjeeling, North Bengal development minister Mr Gautam Deb said on Tuesday at Writers’ Buildings in Kolkata. 

He said that schoolchildren are being forced to utter a message on Gorkhaland for five minutes during their prayers regularly, a practice that he termed as unconstitutional, inhumane and unjustified. 

A large number of students come from foreign countries and from across states to study in several schools and educational centres, and they are now being asked to go to school without any vehicle, he said. School students are apprehensive of going to school following the Taliban-like fatwa, he added. 

“The West Bengal government is taking all the steps necessary to bring peace and normalcy back to Darjeeling and cannot tolerate any kind of fatwa for disturbing the peace in the Hills,” he said. 

Mr Deb, however, said the state government is happy with the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s (GJMM) decision to withdraw its bandh till 20 September, and that the government will monitor the GJMM’s next act. 

The Centre is supporting the GJMM's destructive movement and the chief minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee, has written a letter to the Prime Minister protesting the ‘conspiracy’ for splitting West Bengal, he added. 

The state government will start developmental work in the Hills if a new chairman of the GTA is not selected. Several projects are pending after GTA chairman Mr Bimal Gurung had resigned as chairman. Work should be started immediately, or else the development fund would be returned back, the North Bengal development minister said. 

Mr Deb will visit Lat Panchari in Darjeeling for the free distribution of food among local residents on 13 September, and a procession will be organised in Kurseong to spread the message of peace. More buses will be run in the Hills for the convenience of locals, he added.

(source & courtesy: http://www.thestatesman.net/news/14470--taliban-style-disturbance-in-hills-will-not-be-tolerated.html)