GJM welcomes Centre’s decision... RECALLING CRPF FROM HILLS

EOI, Darjeeling, 23 July 2014: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership has welcomed the Union home ministry’s decision to recall the central security forces deployed in the Darjeeling hills asserting it was one of the contentious issues taken up with the government earlier.

Following the fresh agitation for statehood in August, 2013, the state government had requisitioned for central forces citing law and order problems, a move that had been contested and opposed vehemently by the GJM.

Notwithstanding the opposition, the state government had succeeded in deploying total of 16 companies of the CRPF including the IRB, RAF and SSF in the hills. However, some companies were recalled after the GJM abruptly ended its agitation.

GJM general secretary Roshan Giri today expressed happiness with the central government’s decision to recall the remaining central forces.

“Party president Bimal Gurung had written to Union home minister Rajnath Singh on June 2 requesting a recall of the CRPF. He had maintained the region was now peaceful and the deployment of so many personnel was unwarranted and unnecessary,” said Giri.

Further, the Morcha leader said Gurung’s letter to the Union home minister has also underscored issues such as withdrawal of criminal cases against statehood agitators and the removal of the IRB from a government guest house near Siliguri.

“We had three issues under debate and we appreciate Singh-ji’s decision to recall the central forces as their presence was only creating a sense of sustained apprehension among the general public,” said the GJM general secretary, adding Darjeeling MP

Surendra Singh Ahluwalia had also taken up the matter with the minister.

The deployment of the central forces and cases still pending against statehood agitators were some of the issues responsible for ties souring between the GJM and the state government. The July 2011 GTA agreement has mention of withdrawal of criminal cases, excluding murder ones, against GJM cadres and leaders.

At present, nine companies of the CRPF are deployed in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling district to maintenance of law and order.

“There are still nine companies of the central force stationed in the hills at present and we are yet to receive any communication from the state government they will be recalled,” said Darjeeling SP Akhilesh Chaturvedi.

Derek O’ Brien, the TMC chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, today raised the issue during zero hour of withdrawal of 13 companies of the CRPF from North Bengal.

O’ Brien said, “The central government has issued an order to withdraw 13 companies of the CRPF from the North Bengal region. Five of the companies will be withdrawn tomorrow while the rest will be recalled on July 31.”

He also said the state government had earlier written to the Centre to reconsider the withdrawal decision arguing “many areas in North Bengal are still prone to violence”.