Darjeeling unrest: Gorkhaland offers 12-hr window to schools to evacuate students, indefinite strike to continue

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which called for an indeifinite strike demanding for a separate statehood for the Gorkhas, on Wednesday offered a 12-hour window on June 23 in Darjeeling hills to evacuate students safely to Siliguri and Rongpo.

The Darjeeling bandh-hit hills as the indefinite strike crippled normal life. 

 In a statement to PTI, GJM leader Binay Tamag said, "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."

According to an ANI report, the strike has forced more than 500 boarding students of 128-year-old St. Joseph's School to stay on campus with many day scholars unable to attend school. 

One of the students, Utsav Thapa said they are safer inside school premises but are forced to take two exams in a day in place of one. 

In an all-party meeting convened by the GJM on Tuesday, a resolution was passed wherein it was decided that the shutdown would continue until security forces were withdrawn. 

GJM, spearheading the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland since June eight, also decided to withdraw from the tripartite accord on the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

Security forces patrolled the streets of the bandh-hit hills as the indefinite strike crippled normal life. Internet services remained suspended for the third day in the region.

Except medicine shops, all other shops remained closed.

Meanwhile, in Gangtok, the Sikkim Democratic Front, the ruling party in this north-eastern state, extended its support to the "democratic demand" for a separate Gorkhaland.

It expressed its opposition to the "illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional" acts committed in Darjeeling.

Thousands of people from all walks of life took out candle light march in Gangtok in solidarity with the people of Darjeeling.

GJM spokesperson T Arjun told reporters in Darjeeling after the all-party meeting, "The indefinite shutdown will continue as the onus is on the West Bengal government to restore normalcy in the hills. They have to withdraw security forces -- both the state, central and all repressive forces."

Several political parties in the hills, including Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), which was till recently an ally of the ruling Trinamool Congress, attended the meeting here, besides some NGOs and apolitical organisations.

Arjun said, "It was also decided at the meeting that the GJM will withdraw from the tripartite accord on the GTA."

The tripartite agreement paving the way for the setting up of the GTA, an elected body for the Darjeeling hills, was signed in 2011. The parties to the agreement were the Union home ministry, the state government and the GJM.

The GTA administers Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, some areas of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district and the whole of Kalimpong district.

The GJM spokesperson said, "We will send letter to the state and the central governments stating that the GTA stands scrapped as the GJM, being one of the signatories, is pulling out of the the agreement."

Asked whether the GJM members will resign from the GTA, he said "We are pulling out of the accord."

The parties, which attended the meeting, decided not to participate in the June 22 all-party meet called by the West Bengal government to discuss the prevailing situation in the hills.