The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which has been protesting for a separate state of Gorkhaland for several days now, gave a 12-hour window to several schools in Darjeeling on Wednesday to evacuate students even as normal life remained affected for the ninth day of the indefinite strike.
GJM leader Binay Tamang told PTI: "The students will be allowed to go to Siliguri and Rongpo only in school buses. The indefinite shutdown will continue. Only the students will be allowed to leave safely."
The indefinite shutdown has forced around 528 students of the renowned St. Joseph's School to stay on campus, ANI reported. Several day scholars have not been able to attend school due to the shutdown. A student of the school named Utsav Thapa told the news agency: "We are safe inside. We used to have one exam a day, after the strike, we are forced to take two exams a day."
The GJM convened an all-party meeting on Tuesday and passed a resolution wherein it was decided that the indefinite shutdown would continue until the security forces were withdrawn. It was also decided that the GJM would withdraw from the tripartite accord on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
It was also decided that the GJM and the other parties, who attended the meeting, would not attend the all-party meet called by the West Bengal government on June 22 to discuss the prevailing situation in the hills. GJM spokesperson T Arjun told the media that an all-party coordination committee would be constituted to send a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to press for the demand for Gorkhaland.
Security forces patrolled the streets of Darjeeling while police pickets were set up at all exit and entry routes. All shops, restaurants and hotels except pharmacies remained shut due to the strike. According to PTI, GJM supporters allegedly thrashed a few tea garden workers. However, the group has denied all allegations.
The GJM also took out rallies in several parts of Darjeeling to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland. Internet services still remain suspended in the hills. the local residents believe that internet shutdown is an "oppressive step against a democratic movement."
A GJM delegation had on Tuesday met Union minister Kiren Rijiju in Sikkim and submitted a two-point memorandum to him. They demanded a separate state of Gorkhaland while the second demand was that Rijiju takes up the matter with the Centre as soon as he gets back to Delhi after attending the International Yoga Day celebrations in Gangtok on June 21.
The delegation told the minister that the indefinite shutdown and the protests in Darjeeling would continue if their demands were not met by the Centre. The delegations asked Rijiju to start the process of granting a separate state status to Gorkhaland immediately if the Centre wanted the situation in Darjeeling to return to normalcy.
