Ahead of talks, TMC re-opens Darjeeling office

TNN | Sep 12, 2017, DARJEELING: With increased police presence and less number of pro-Gorkhaland rallies on the streets for the third consecutive day, the Hills Trinamool Congress that had remained dormant since the start of the agitation and strike in June re-opened its office in Darjeeling on Monday.

The situation is limping back to normalcy in parts of the Hills -mainly in Kurseong and Kalimpong -as schools and branches of some public sector banks have started functioning. Local transport services have also started.

For the third consecutive day, the police and administration, through a public address system, appealed to the locals to open shops and restore normalcy in Hills. Peace rallies were taken out by the residents in Kurseong, Darjeeling and Mirik. GJM supporters also took out rallies in support of the Gorkhaland and the ongoing shutdown in certain parts of Darjeeling, Sonada and Kalimpong. Picketing was strengthened in some areas and posters and leaflets, in support of the strike, were distributed. Internet services have remained suspended in the Hills since June 18.

Tourism minister Gautam Deb said: "We are hopeful of resolving the deadlock. People of Darjeeling do not want the strike. Life is slowly getting back to normal and after the meeting I expect things to fall in place," he added. The Trinamool office loca ted at Judge Bazar in the town was vandalized by Gorkhaland supporters in June and had remained closed since then after party leaders went into hiding.

On Monday , 15-20 Trinamool supporters arrived at the party office in Judge Bazar in the morning and started cleaning the premises. The office is situated on the second floor of a dilapidated building, adjacent to the CPIM office in the heart of Darjeeling town.

Following the police lathicharge on August 8, Gorkhaland supporters in Darjeeling have not held their routine rallies and public meeting. Police personnel have been deployed in strategic areas of the town, including in Chowk Bazar, the place where supporters converge for public meetings.

Rajen Mukhia, the Hills Trinamool president did not say if leaders and supporters would start visiting the party office in Darjeeling but confirmed that workers had cleaned the premises. "We (TMC) chose to lie low respecting the sentiments of the people of Gorkhaland. Our supporters were beaten and their homes vandalized and leaders made to run to safety of the plains. But we remained quite. However, now peace must prevail as people are suffering because of the strike," he said.

He admitted that the Gorkhaland sentiments run deep inside people but strike was not the solution. He said the party's Darjeeling unit would organize a peace rally soon to convince people to end the ongoing strike.