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The Telegraph

July 10: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today sounded apprehensive about the timing of the tripartite meeting in the wake of the Left withdrawing its support to the Congress-led government at the Centre.

The Morcha wants the talks to be held after the trust vote meet in Parliament is over and the Manmohan Singh government puts behind it the turmoil sparked by the India-US nuclear deal.

“The government must first be stable after which we will sit for discussions. If the government is about to fall, how can the talks take place?” Morcha president Bimal Gurung said in Darjeeling today.

On the other hand, the chief minister said he had already requested the Centre to arrange for a tripartite meeting to resolve the crisis in the hills.

“I had a talk with Union home minister Shivraj Patil over the phone yesterday and requested him to hold a tripartite meeting involving the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, state government and the Centre. I am also writing a letter to the Centre in this regard,” Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee told the Assembly in response to a motion by Trinamul Congress MLA Saugata Roy. (more…)

www.telegraphindia.com

Darjeeling, July 8: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has chosen to ignore Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s offer for bipartite talks, trying instead to cash in on the part of the chief minister’s letter that says he has accepted the proposal for a tripartite meeting.

Bimal Gurung’s party has decided to send a copy of the chief minister’s letter to Union home minister Shivraj Patil and press the state government to arrange for discussions with Delhi.

The Telegraph had reported yesterday that the Morcha would not accept the bipartite talks’ offer.

Today, the Morcha president in a fax to Bhattacharjee said: “I am delighted that you have responded positively and agreed to accept our proposal for the tripartite meeting. I now look forward to meeting you in New Delhi.” (more…)

www.thestatesman.net

After the bandh politics, the GJMM has now switched to a religious mode to attain Gorkhaland. It is invoking the deities to strengthen the Gorkhaland movement through the Khas Bharatiya Hitkari Sammelan, an association of Nepali Brahmins and Kshatriyas. The KBHS commenced a one month-long prayer service at the Mall today. The session began with a Shakti Puja. “Politics is dominating all spheres of our life but the issue of Gorkhaland is a social issue, a question of our identity. The Shakti Puja is our contribution towards the movement for a separate state initiated by Mr Bimal Gurung”, Mr RP Niroulla, chairman of KBHS said. “The Lord is witness to the fact that our territory extends from Sandakphu in the north to Sunkosh in the east and the Mechi in the west. We pledge before him that we will get our territories back,” Mr Niroulla said.

The ambience was complete with hymns and chants as people from the Terai, Dooars and Darjeeling came down to attend the holy rituals.

www.thestatesman.net

Statesman News Service
DARJEELING, July 7: The Gorkha Jana Mukti Morcha today went ahead with its pre-planned programme of replacing vehicle number plates bearing the initials WB with GL depicting Gorkhaland and also closed down offices across the Hills, while the administration chose to remain silent on the issue.

The programme comes following the non-cooperation movement of the GJMM in defiance of the West Bengal government’s authority. “This is our home rule and we shall abide by it. If the administration wants to take action against us it can go ahead,” said party president Mr Bimal Gurung. Government vehicles are next in line for putting up such plates before the civilians switch over from WB to GL number plates in the third phase. “It is compulsory for the government vehicles to fix GL plates in the next phase and the people will do it ,” the leader announced.

When contacted, the SP and the ASP of Darjeeling refrained from commenting on the matter stating they were not “authorised” to issue any statement.

The GJMM also closed down all state, Central and DGHC offices for an indefinite period from today. However, banks, post-offices and the food supply department would remain open on Mondays and Fridays. The conservancy and waterworks department of the Hill municipalities would also remain open.

www.telegraphindia.com

Darjeeling, July 7: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha will not accept an invitation sent last evening by chief minister Buddahdeb Bhattacharjee for another round of bipartite talks in Calcutta, party insiders said.

“We had made it clear after the last meeting in Writers’ Buildings on June 27 that we are interested only in talks with Delhi which the state government will attend,” a senior Morcha leader said.

Bimal Gurung’s party today refused to react formally to the letter and said it would make its stand public tomorrow. (more…)

www.telegraphindia.com

Darjeeling, July 6: State and central government employees from across the Darjeeling hills have decided to donate a day’s salary — on an average around Rs 500 each — every month to Bimal Gurung’s party to enable it to sustain the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

The two employees’ association in the hills, which have taken the decision, claim to have around 5,000 members each.

“This is our contribution to the movement. We have decided to collect one day’s salary from the employees and hand it over to Bimal Gurung,” said Amar Rai, the president of the Hill Employees’ and Workers’ Trade Union.

The Union has decided to create a “Gorkhaland Relief Fund” for this purpose and every employee will be given a receipt for the donation. (more…)

www.thaindian.com

July 5th, 2008 - 9:17 pm ICT by IANS

Siliguri, July 5 (IANS) The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), fighting for a separate Gorkhaland state in northern West Bengal, Saturday extended the relaxation period for its indefinite shutdown in the Darjeeling hills till August 7, but threatened to close down all government offices from Monday. GJM president Bimal Gurung wrote a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee urging him to prevail upon the central government to call an immediate tripartite meeting on the issue.

Briefing reporters after the party’s central committee meeting in Darjeeling, GJM press and publicity secretary Benoy Tamang said: “The relaxation period for the shutdown has been extended till August 7.”

The GJM had last month decided to keep its indefinite shutdown in abeyance till Saturday. (more…)

www.telegraphindia.com

VIVEK CHHETRI

Darjeeling, July 5: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today put off its indefinite hill bandh, which was scheduled to resume tomorrow, till after August 7.

But state and central government offices and those of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council will be forced shut from Monday.

On June 22, the Morcha had relaxed its indefinite strike till July 5 after a six-day bandh, citing “instability” in Delhi over the nuclear deal.

Today, it cited its own programmes for the move. “An all-faith prayer meeting is scheduled to be held at Chowrastha every day from July 7 to August 7. As the meeting is for peace and Gorkhaland, we have decided not to disturb it. Our agitation will remain suspended till August 7,” said Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri.

Observers said the Morcha leadership realised the Centre had neither the time nor the inclination to discuss Gorkhaland when the general election was due in less than a year. (more…)

www.expressindia.com

Kolkata, July 4: Notwithstanding the West Bengal Government’s warning, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, on Friday said it would not allow vehicles in Darjeeling and adjoining areas of the proposed Gorkhaland to run without ‘GL’ number plates from July seven.

“Introduction of GL number plates is part of GJM’s non-cooperation and non-violent movement to press for Gorkhaland,” GJM press secretary Benoy Tamang told PTI from Darjeeling. (more…)

www.telegraphindia.com
Darjeeling, July 4: The ABGL has “advised” Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders not to be selective in defying Bengal’s rule, referring to their decision to change the number plates of vehicles in the hills to GL (Gorkhaland) from WB.

ABGL president Madan Tamang said today: “I am trying to advise (the Morcha), not criticise them. If the logic behind changing the number plates is to defy Bengal’s rule, then why is the Morcha being selective? Where there is chair and power like the municipality and the panchayat, they have no problems in accepting Bengal’s rule. Where there is nothing, they are not accepting it. (more…)