Strike to continue, says Morcha ....Child rally notice

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, Kalimpong, June 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today said the strike in the Darjeeling hills would continue and formed a committee comprising members of all hill-based parties to spearhead the statehood agitation.

The Morcha leaders, who held a meeting with all hill parties in Kalimpong today to decide the course of the agitation, also said that members of the all the organisations would go for indefinite hunger strikes if needed.

"We will continue with the strike. We have also formed the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee comprising 30 members from 13 political parties and apolitical organisations. The committee will have members from the plains also and will hold its first meeting on July 6. Both the decisions were unanimous," said Binay Tamang, the assistant general secretary of the Morcha.

Political observers said the move to involve all the hill-based parties was an indication that the Morcha wants to take the other organisations into confidence at a time it is faced with questions over its ability to spearhead the statehood agitation.

"It is clear that the state government is not ready to relent. On the other hand, today's decision indicates that the Morcha, too, is not ready to give in and intends to mount pressure on the state by continuing with the strike," a political analyst said.

P. Arjun, a senior Morcha leader, said they could also go for indefinite hunger strikes.

"If the situation demands, I repeat if the situation demands, the leaders of all the parties will go for a fast-unto-death strike," he said.

Child rally notice

The child rights commission has served a show-cause notice on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha for bringing out a rally with children in Darjeeling yesterday and sought a response in a week.

Cops missing

Police in Darjeeling have been trying since 7pm on Thursday to locate and bring back at least 20 personnel from the Teesta Valley, 40km from Darjeeling town, after an attack by an angry mob.