Showdown in the hills : Strike call on Feb 23 in support of Gorkhaland, ‘zero tolerance for bandhs,’ says Mamata

We have shunned the politics of bandh and blockade since we came to power. If any candidate is inconvenienced while going to the exam centre, we will take appropriate action- CM

EOI & PTI, DARJEELING, FEB 21, 2023 : Nine elected Sabhasads of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on Tuesday staged a 24 hours hunger strike. 

They have also called a strike for 12 hours in the hills on February 23to protest against the West Bengal Assembly passing a motion against attempts to divide the state. The call for the agitation was initiated by the Hamro Party, which is the primary opposition in the GTA, and supported by independent Sabhasads.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a government programme in Siliguri on Tuesday, said her government had zero tolerance for any bandh, blockade or shutdown during the State Board examinations for Class X which was slated to begin on February 23.

"We have shunned the politics of bandh and blockade since we came to power. If any candidate is inconvenienced while going to the exam centre, we will take appropriate action," she said, stressing that no public programme will be allowed during the period. In a swipe at the agitators in the hills, she said: “Sometime, some people wake up in the hills. They don’t wake up for development. They wake up to how to create unrest. I am clearly telling the police that if someone goes to agitate for the division of Bengal, then they will have to follow the law. If they take law into their own hands, there will be no concession whatsoever. 

Sitting for the hunger strike inside the Gorkha Ranga Manch Bhawan premises which houses the GTA Sabha, elected Sabhasad and HP president Ajoy Edwards said: "No one is above the Constitution, not even the West Bengal Assembly. We condemn the resolution adopted by the Assembly against division of Bengal". 

On Monday Trinamool Congress MLA Satyajit Barman moved the motion against division of West Bengal. The resolution was passed in the state assembly. The decision totable a resolution had its origin in some BJP MLAs raising the demand for the creation of a separate state of North Bengal.

Edwards said it was his duty as an elected representative to protest against the motion as the GTA Sabhahad already passed a resolution, unanimously demanding the "reopening of dialogue for Gorkhaland." The resolution was tabled by Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha president and GTA chief executive officer Anit Thapa in September, last year.

Thapa's party is an ally of the Trinamool Congress and has pledged to work in cooperation with the West Bengal Government to usher development in the hills. "It was the BGPM president who had moved the motion in the GTA Sabha. And all the45 elected Sabahsads, including those in the opposition supported it. Now itis clear that we were fooled," said Edwards.

Sabhasad of the opposition that include former Trinamool Congress leader Binoy Tamang have also called for a 12-hour-long strike in the hills on February 23.

Interestingly, after peace and stability were restored after the 104-day strike in the hills in 2017, Edwards and Tamang had asserted that they would ensure that Darjeeling would be a strike free zone.

"I admit we had made the assertion earlier. But, the situation is different, which now demands drastic actions. We are not forcing the bandh. We will not do any picketing and are only appealing to the people to support us for their future," said Tamang.

The agitators have exempted emergency and essential services including the education sector from the purview of the strike. The Madhyamik Board examination starts from Thursday. The former Trinamool Congress leader said the motion placed and passed in the state assembly was against the Indian Constitution. "Article 3 (a) allows the formation of new States and Union Territories. It is unfortunate that the West Bengal Assembly is challenging the Constitution," said Tamang.

BJP MLAs from Darjeeling and Kurseong, Niraj Zimba and BP Bajgain, respectively raised their voice against the motion passed in the Assembly on Monday. 

The Kurseong MLA demanded a referendum in the region to find out if people there wanted to remain a part of the state would not allow any strike to disturb the peace and stability of the region and asserted people would not support the call. 

"It is alright to protest and sit for hunger-strike, but we will not allow any strikes. The Madhyamik exams start from February 23. I assure the students and people they will not face any problem," said Thapa. Thapa argued that the demand for a separate Gorkha state would be diluted if West Bengal was divided between South Bengal and North Bengal.

Alleging that the BJP had been pursuing "politics of division and polarisation" in north Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that her government would foil all plans to create unrest in the state.

Mamata also said that her government, which had been "striving to usher in development" across the length and breadth of Bengal, will put an end to all conspiracies to divide the state. "We will foil all game plans and conspiracies to divide Bengal," she said.

Mamata also accused the opposition BJP of trying to derail her government's mission to create job opportunities by "moving the court against recruitment drives".

"Mark my words, we will lawfully provide jobs as and when possible to (eligible)candidates. I never go back on my promises. But every time we make provisions for jobs, the BJP moves the court to forestall it," she stated. In a bid to pacify state government employees, who had been agitating for dearness allowance (DA) at par with the Centre,

Mamata said that their well being will always be her priority.

"Currently, every employee gets a salary on the first day of the month unlike the situation in the past when our predecessors ruled the state. We are giving pension to all state employees and we will not waver from that. We are doing everything to the best of our abilities," the CM asserted.

On the issue of a Cooch Behar youth's killing, allegedly by the BSF, she said the district superintendent of police has been asked to conduct an inquiry and file a report. 

"The post-mortem report says there were 180 pellet wounds in his body. I have never heard about any such case before. The BSF cannot be acting this way. An inquiry will be conducted," she said.

Taking a dig at the Centre over the commencement of flight service between Coochbehar and Kolkata, the West Bengal Chief Minister said she had pursued the matter with the Centre. "This has been a long-pending issue. I had suggested that a double-engine plane be used for the route. 

I have heard they (the Civil Aviation Ministry) are introducing a single engine aircraft. Who will be responsible if there is a threat to passenger safety," she asked.