Statesman News Service
KURSEONG, Nov. 26: The GNLF in Kurseong relaxed the ongoing indefinite bandh from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow people to buy essentials. The relaxation triggered a rush to the shops as people stockpiled food and essential items for the bandh period.

The GNLF also permitted a six hour hiatus to the ongoing bandh from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (in Darjeeling) but most shop owners preferred to keep the shutters down for fear of the unexpected.

While the GNLF’s 108-hour Kalimpong bandh ended today and life groaned back to near normal in the evening, the bandh continues to remain tightly clamped on another hill town Mirik.

Unlike Darjeeling and Kurseong, there was no relaxation of the bandh in Mirik today.

In a major development today, about 200 women gheraoed the Kurseong SDO’s office demanding withdrawal of the ongoing GNLF bandh.

The SDO Mr Dibyendu Das met the agitators in the evening and assured that the administration would not permit anyone to apply force to observe the bandh. Neither would any one or party would be allowed to force people to oppose the bandh.

The Kurseong GNLF MLA Mrs Shanta Chettri today lodged a verbal complain to the Darjeeling Asp Rajesh Yadav against the Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha stating that the GJMM was disturbing the GNLF bandh and that the police was providing security to the GJMM offices but not the GNLF offices.

Armed forces continue to remain deployed in Kurseong to maintain law and order.