Gorkhaland agitation: Two CRPF companies arrive in Darjeeling, two more expected tomorrow

Darjeeling: The security forces stayed on high alert on Sunday in the Darjeeling hills which remained incident-free on the day 32 of the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Meanwhile, as per the court orders, two companies of the CRPF reached in the hills on Sunday while two more would be arriving on Monday in Darjeeling. [caption id=“attachment_2907402” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The Calcutta High Court on 14 July had asked the Centre to provide four additional companies of CRPF within 48 hours in Darjeeling to maintain law and order. “Two companies of CRPF arrived in the hills today and two more will be arriving by tomorrow morning,” Darjeeling superintendent of police Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi said. Eleven companies of CRPF have already been stationed in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. A report from neighbouring Jalpaiguri district said that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha started a relay hunger strike at Birpara on Sunday demanding Gorkhaland state. The GJM’s women cell also sat on a hunger strike at Jaigaon in the same district, district administration sources said. GJM supremo Bimal Gurung last night had warned that the agitation would turn ’terrible’ in the coming days. “The agitation which has been going on for over a month now will turn terrible and it will be a decisive battle for our independence,” Gurung had told reporters here last night. “If I need to shed my blood, I am ready to do that, but the fight will go on till Gorkhaland is achieved,” Gurung said. The army was deployed in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sonada and police and security forces were patrolling the streets of the hills, which saw rallies being taken out by GJM supporters at Chowkbazar demanding a separate state. The ban on internet, which was imposed on 18 June, has been extended till 25 July by the district administration on Saturday. Except pharmacy, all the other shops, restaurants,, hotels, schools and colleges remained closed. With the food supply severely hit due to the ongoing shutdown, GJM activists and NGOs of the hills were seen distributing food items among the people.