On Saturday, Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung declared that th party has decided to go on an indefinite strike from Monday demanding a separate state of ‘Gorkhaland’.
“We will go on strike from Monday. Bengal government takes so much revenue from us but it only encroach our territory. We want our Gorkahland and will not negotiate on this matter. We will not do any violence. We have also written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh apprising him as to how West Bengal suppresses us,” Gurung said.
Notably, Darjeeling has been under turmoil as violence errupted on Thursday near Bhanu Bhavan where the GJM supporters were holding a rally to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland and a written assurance from the Mamata Banerjee government that it won’t ‘impose’ Bengali in the north Bengal hills and that “Bengali could be learnt as a fourth language”.
Meanwhile reagrding the strike, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri said that an all party meeting has been called on June 13 to discuss the matter.
“Offices of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Bengal government and Central Government will be closed from Monday. Court will be open. Banks will be open on Monday and Thursday. School and colleges have been exempted from bandh. We appealed to put all sign boards in Darjeeling, Kerseong, Kalimpong, Mirik and other places in Nepali and English,” Giri said.
A delegation is to meet PM Modi and Home Minister demanding Gorkhaland movement, Giri added.
