Army and BSF jawans staged flag-marches at Siliguri, the troubled North Bengal town even as the curfew was withdrawn from parts of the town on Saturday with the law and order situation showing signs of improvement.

The authorities organised an all-party meeting where fans of singer Prasant Tamang and locals were present and it was unanimously decided to restore peace and calm in North Bengal following widespread violence  between the Tamang fans and the locals leaving more than 50 injured.

The dawn-to-dusk bundh called by the Tamang Fan Club to protest against the alleged derogatory remarks by a radio jockey of a Delhi-based private FM channel, was withdrawn from Darjeeling Sadar and Kurseong subdivision.

However, the authorities advised schools and colleges in Siliguri against reopening the institutions till October 2 as a precautionary measure.

The curfew was partially lifted at 2 pm after the situation was reviewed, District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey told newsmen. But, the curfew will remain in force in 11 sensitive areas in the commercial hub, including the inter-state Tenzing Norgay bus terminus, the railway station area and Mahabirsthan till Sunday morning.
Any decision on complete withdrawal of the curfew will be taken on Sunday only after a thorough assessment of the law and order situation, Mr Pandey said.

Flag marches by four Army columns and two companies of para-military forces would continue till Sunday morning.
Security forces have been deployed in strength in mixed population areas to ward off  untoward consequences of wild rumours. In fact, Friday’s unprecedented violence had its origin in widespread rumours which said some local people were lynched in a clash with members of the fan club.

Tamang has already appealed for maintaining peace and tranquility as “violence has no place in song or music”.