JOIN USThe Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland, said the party is not against any dialogue and urged the Centre and the West Bengal government to initiate talks.
All police stations in West Bengal hills, Terai and Dooars areas have been put on “high alert” after the high-intensity IED blast in Chowkbazar area of Darjeeling and the grenade attack on Kalimpong police station.
The state government on Monday said counter-insurgency strategies are being followed in police stations across the entire region and road blocks and check points have been erected to monitor vehicular movement.
“All entry and exit points to the hills as well as Dooars and Terai regions are being closely monitored. Raids are also on to nab known GJM troublemakers.
The Siliguri Metropolitan Police has also been put on high alert,” said Siliguri Police Commissioner Niraj Kumar Singh.
“We had earlier requested the Centre to initiate talks and never said that we are averse to any dialogue process initiated even by the Bengal government. Our only issue is, talks should be held on the agenda of Gorkhaland. Everybody wants peace and normalcy to return to the hills,” GJM joint secretary and central committee member Binay Tamang told DH over phone.
Refuting charges that the GJM was behind the powerful blast in the Chowkbazar area of Darjeeling, the grenade attack on Kalimpong police station and the burning down of GTA forest rest house in Kalimpong on Saturday, Tamang said, “Our movement was always democratic in nature. We have condemned the blast as well as the attack on the Kalimpong police. Our president has also demanded a thorough probe behind the incidents by any central investigating agency, including the NIA.”
The police have slapped cases against five GJM functionaries, including its president Bimal Gurung, GJM youth wing president Prakash Gurung and another senior GJM functionary Praveen Subba under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act, for their involvement in the Chowkbazar and Kalimpong incidents.
Another hill party, the GNLF, has also urged the Centre and the state government to initiate dialogue to end the imbroglio.
GNLF general secretary Mahendra Chhetri told DH over phone that the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee should immediately start the dialogue process.
“The recent violent incidents in the hills should be condemned. It was a democratic movement and a dialogue should immediately be opened to restore normalcy,” Chhetri said.