After a respite of four days, the hills is again likely to witness a complete shutdown for five consecutive days from August 19 to 23. To avoid inviting the wrath of the judiciary, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has refrained from describing the new agitation as bandh or janata curfew.
Instead, it has been declared as “ghare bhitrae janata (people inside homes).” The change of nomenclature of agitation was seen as a clever ploy as was the formation of a new committee-Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee.
Apparently outwitted by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and cornered by the Calcutta high court’s harsh verdict against the bandh and people’s curfew in the hills, GJM chief Bimal Gurung adopted a shrewd gameplan. He convened an all-party meeting at Darjeeling’s Gymkhana Club to chalk out a strategy to counter the adverse political moves of the state government and the legal blow inflicted by the judiciary.
After a marathon meeting, joint action committee chairman Enos Das Pradhan said: “We have formed the Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee to step up the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland. The people of the hills will remain confined to their homes from August 19 to 23.”
On August 24 and 25, the pro-Gorkhaland parties will take out mashaal juloos and on August 26 they will form a huge human chain to press for their demand for a homeland. Buckling under increasing pressure, Mr Gurung had to announce a relaxation of the bandh and janata curfew from Independence Day. It was believed that the GJM leadership would opt for protests and rallies but desist from imposing bandhs and people’s curfew in the hills.
However, belying such expectations, the joint action committee where the GJM calls the shot again gave a call for ghare bhitrae janata. Asked if it was not another way of imposing people’s curfew, Mr Pradhan said: “If the people choose to remain indoors then what can anyone do? If the children decide to not go to school then what can anyone do? If there will be no customers then why will the shopkeepers open their establishments? We are not forcing people to remain indoors. We will not block the roads.”
Rejecting the GJM leadership’s reasoning North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said they would be able to fool no one. “The high court has already declared all kind of shutdown illegal. Gurung’s decision to change the name of agitation is immaterial. The state government will try to ensure normal life in the hills,” he added.
The GJM leadership said that if governor M.K. Narayanan invited them for talks they would respond positively. They also demanded the Centre to intervene.