Counter strike against Gorkhaland plan in Dooars

TT, July 9: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today decided to extend the statehood movement to the Dooars and a predominant tribal outfit in the plains vowed to counter the agitation.

"From tomorrow, we will hold rallies across the Dooars in protest against police atrocities in the hills and in support of Gorkhaland. Morcha supporters will organise relay hunger strikes in front of block development offices from Tuesday," said Sandip Chhetri, the secretary of the Dooars committee of the Morcha.

Today, Morcha supporters held demonstrations before some police stations in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.

In its latest round of the statehood movement, the Morcha didn't organise any programme in the Terai and the Dooars. The agitation was confined to a few processions and submission of memorandums.

The Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, the prominent tribal organisation in the plains, held a meeting at Malbazar in Jalpaiguri today to draw up a strategy to scuttle the Morcha's movement.

"We will not let the Morcha bring the agitation and violence to the plains. The party has brought normal life to a standstill in the hills and now, it wants to create tension in the plains. We decided today to strongly oppose any such attempt," said Birsa Tirkey, the Parishad state president.

The Parishad has always opposed the Morcha's plans to include the Dooars and the Terai in the proposed Gorkhaland state. It had launched a counter-agitation in the plains when the Morcha had launched the Gorkhaland movement around a decade ago.