Buoyed by the constant support that the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has received in the past 11 days of the strike in the Hills, the top leadership on Sunday said it was providing a 12-hour relaxation to Muslim community on the occasion of Eid on Monday.
The relaxation, though, will be restricted only to the movement of community members in specially marked vehicles so that they can offer their prayers and visit their relatives.
However, behind the 12-hour relaxation lies the GJM's decision to firm up their stand.Norbu G Lama, the spokesperson for the GJM, declared that no ATMs will be allowed to operate. On June 27, the day an 18member PWD audit team is scheduled to begin physical inspection, the GJM announced a slew of protest measures.
"Besides burning the GTA agreement at Chowkbazar, we will hold similar protests across Kurseong, Kalimpong and all the important constituencies that are supporting the movement. Besides, some of our youths will volunteer to be beaten up by tubelights. The Bengal government has been using draconian measures to crush the movement and baying for our blood. So, we have volunteered to shed our blood," claimed Tilak Chetri, senior leader of the Darjeeling Town unit of GJM. Party leaders said though all major programmes for Monday were suspended on the occasion of Eid, some youths will still be running from Batasia Loop to Chowkbazar as a token form of protest.
Even on Sunday, the Gorkha Mahila Morcha and the youth wing came out with a procession that originated from Chowrasta (the Mall) and Darjeeling station and went up to Singmari covering Chowkbazar and DM's office. Of the 7000 odd protesters, yet again 50% were women.
The GJM also announced that their resignation from GTA was "complete". Lama also said GJM was expecting the grand coalition of parties to chalk out a joint future course of action demanding the formation of Gorkhaland on June 29. "We had met on June 13 and again on June 20 earlier. I do not see any crack in our unity ," he said.
Police too are alert. Realizing the importance of June 27 and the need to protect the government officials who would visit Darjeeling for the audit, two top IPS officers -ADG Vivek Sahay (just back from his CISF deputation) and IG Manoj Verma -have been sent to the Hills. Several SDPOs from Burdwan, Malda and Hooghly were asked to report to the Hills. In the past two days alone, over 800 odd men have been pushed in to the Hills, claimed top police sources.
GJM supremo Bimal Gurung, on Saturday night, in a video message asked everyone to hit the streets and cautioned that some leaders from other parties might try to "betray" the Gorkhaland agitation.
Former Lok Sabha MP R B Rai, who heads the CPRM, on Sunday lent weight behind GJM. "We demand a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge into the June 17 incident," he said.
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