Darjeeling bandh ‘suspended’, but hill politics warm up again

The bandh was called on a day when students affiliated to state’s secondary schools are to appear for examination

A 12-hour ‘bandh’ called by two political parties in the Darjeeling hills of north Bengal has been ‘suspended’ (called off). The development comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cautioned that bandhs have no place in Bengal, and anyone defying the law will be dealt with strongly by the administration.

The ‘appeal’ for the bandh had its trigger in the state’s anti-division resolution passed in the West Bengal state legislative assembly on Monday.

A second factor that has irked a section of politicians in the Darjeeling region is the use of the word ‘influx’ by a senior Trinamool leader in the House during the discussion when he brought in historical references concerning the Gorkhas. The MLAs from the region took offence, though the minister has clarified repeatedly that his statement got misconstrued.

The bandh for Thursday had been called by the Hamro Party, and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). Binay Tamang – who had left the Morcha for the Trinamool earlier, had recently quit the latter and has re-invoked the demand for the region's statehood along with GJM.

The bandh was called on a day when students affiliated to the state’s secondary schools are to appear for the examination. The ‘suspension’ of the bandh is being seen in the context of the chief minister’s stern warning.

Tamang, however, has said that, unlike yesteryears, an ‘appeal’ had been issued for the bandh, and relaxation was made for examinees. The bandh has not been withdrawn but suspended, he said, adding that a discussion will be done with political and non-political organisations and a strategy will be made.

Tamang hinted at a future demonstration on a larger scale, along with Adivasi representation from the Dooars region in north Bengal, but within the purview of law and constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, the politics in the hills is apparently gaining heat with the Bengal government taking a firm stand against any division of the state. The Darjeeling MP seat has been with the BJP for three consecutive terms – with Jaswant Singh, and SS Ahluwalia – the former MPs, and Raju Bista the current parliamentarian from the region.

The Trinamool Congress, last year, for the first time won five seats in the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), a local semi-autonomous body.

The GJM leader Bimal Gurung had extended his support to the Trinamool before the state polls in 2021. GJM has been influential in BJP’s victories from the region’s Lok Sabha seat. The party – which had got into two factions – had Tamang leading one of the two groups, before he had joined the Trinamool, and subsequently left it. The GJM also opposed the GTA elections last year.

At the moment, political factions in the hills including the GJM, as apparent, are once again concentrating on the demand for statehood status for the region.