Gorkhaland agitation: GJM announces new five-day protest from Aug 19

Darjeeling: A new committee was today formed in Darjeeling which announced a fresh five day agitation programme from August 19 changing the nomenclature of the ‘janata curfew’ to ‘ghar bitrai janta’ (people inside homes) on their demand for a separate Gorkhaland. “The people will stay at home. This is their wish. We honour their wish. They have total support for Gorkhaland,” a spokesman of the newly-formed body, Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee of which GJM was a constituent, said.

On whether shops and markets would be open during the five-day agitation, he said that none would stir out of their houses to make purchases. “All programs that will be announced from today will be by GJAC,” Gorkka Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung said in a Facebook post. Asked that the Calcutta High Court expressing displeasure over continuance of bandh in the hills in the name of janata curfew, the spokesman replied, “We have not given any call for a janata curfew.” He said that a human chain programme in the hills would be held on August 26 when the people would wear black bands and carry posters in support of Gorkhaland and to “protest against the attitude of the West Bengal government.” Before that a ‘rakhi procession’ would be taken out on August 24 and 25, he told reporters. He also demanded the intervention of the central government to resolve the issue. On whether they would talk to West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan, he said that if the Governor would invite them, they would talk to him. When asked about the fate of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the hill council, he said that a resolution has already been passed at the earlier all-party meeting that “GTA was a failure and would be dissolved at an appropriate time. Today’s meeting of the committee reiterated this.”

PTI