Life in the hills of Bengal may be facing a fresh round of turmoil with Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) launching a new round of agitation from Monday.
A renewed wave of traditional dress code, refusal to pay motor vehicles tax and agitation for the dissolution of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) and the scrapping of the sixth Schedule Bill are the elements of a new strategy unfolded by GJM president Bimal Gurung in Darjeeling.
“The government is handing out hollow assurances. They have done nothing to scrap the DGHC and the sixth Schedule Bill so far. Only after they scrap both will we come out with an alternative to the DGHC,” stated Vimal Gurung, the 45-year old chief of GJM addressing a public meeting in Darjeeling on Sunday.
Gurung also asked the crowd to wear their own traditional attires. Last year the diktat sparked controversy with the GJM supporters going on an overdrive painting people defying the diktat with black paint.
“This time the dress code won’t be made compulsory but anyone violating it will be regarded as not a supporter of Gorkhaland,” was Gurung’s rider. He asked all hill communities to perform cultural programmes for a month from September 25 onwards.
The next tripartite meet is scheduled in Darjeeling on December 21. However, he didn’t refer to the removal of Jaswant Singh, the BJP MP from Darjeeling, who won the Lok Sabha polls on GJM support.
{{/usCountry}}The next tripartite meet is scheduled in Darjeeling on December 21. However, he didn’t refer to the removal of Jaswant Singh, the BJP MP from Darjeeling, who won the Lok Sabha polls on GJM support.
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