Darjeeling burns again, violence spreads

Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 8:07 am

Darjeeling, in North Bengal once again witnessed widespread violence when supporters of rival camps of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) clashed on Friday (July 25).

The violence started when a GJM affiliated faction started agitating in front of GNLF strongman Subhash Ghising’s house Lalkuthi in Darjeeling pelting stones at his house. Tension escalated after a member of the Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha, women’s wing of the GJM, was allegedly shot dead when Morcha activists gheraoed the house of GNLF’s Darjeeling branch committee president Dipak Gurung.

The 120-strong newly constituted Commando Force, along with the Combat Force and RAF have been deployed in various sensitive areas like Chowk Bazaar and Singhmari. Additional forces have also been rushed from Silliguri to contain the violence.

Police said at least 2,000 activists of the Nari Morcha laid a siege to the residence of Gurung on BT Road in Darjeeling and hurled stones after “coming to know” that he was holding a closed-door meeting with the GNLF (Gorkha national Liberation Front) local leaders.

Police quoted the Morcha members as saying that ‘a gun shot from inside Gurung’s house hit one Pramila Sharma.’ She was immediately taken to a hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Later, they ransacked Gurung’s house and set it on fire. They also set ablaze two vehicles parked outside and proceeded to Darjeeling police station and demanded that Gurung be handed over to them.

The IG (north Bengal), KL Tamta, rushed to the area with police reinforcements. He said the situation in the hills was tense but under control and that all business establishments had closed down immediately after the news spread.

Nobody from the GNLF spoke on the incidents when contacted.

GJM president, Bimal Gurung, told news agencies that 25 rounds were fired from Gurung’s residence. He said that he was holding an emergency meeting with GNLF leaders.

He threatened that his organisation would launch a bigger movement if the “killers” of its woman member was not arrested and assault on its leaders and supporters was not stopped.

An FIR had been filed at the police station, he said. “As far as I have heard, the attackers clashed with GNLF members and several rounds were fired,” state Home Secretary, Asok Mohan Chakraborty said.

Describing the situation as tense, he said the Darjeeling district magistrate and superintendent of police were campingn at the spot to maintain law and order.

“Our immediate priority is to ensure that the situation does not flare up again,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Darjeeling burns again, violence spreads

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