Hamiltongonj, Dec. 10: A handful of employees had arrived at the Kalchini block development office around 10am today when around 300 local Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters came in a procession and began shouting slogans.
This surprised the staff members as well as block development officer R.R. Sunder, who came out of their offices. Shouting pro-Gorkhaland slogans, the Morcha rallyists proceeded to lock up the block and the adjacent panchayat samiti offices. GJMM supporters then reached the Latabari Gram Panchyat Office and demanded that office to be locked up.
The employees told the rallyists to move away and not to disturb them. The Morcha supporters refused to budge and slowly a crowd started gathering. Soon, angry people surrounded the Morcha protesters.
Mr. Ranjit Ghosh, Convenor of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee, Jalpaiguri, said this incensed the locals who started the protesting. The GJMM supporters then started attacking the locals. Armed with the traditional Khukris and axes, GJMM agitators threw stones at the locals and their houses. They attacked Alipurduar MP Mr. Joachim Buxla”s house, inflicting serious injuries on his wife Malati. The GJMM supporters damaged nearly hundred houses by pelting them with stones. Morcha supporters also stabbed two persons- Mr. Harish Sarkar and Mr. R.Rastogi.
The news of the clash spread fast and a large number of Morcha supporters arrived at the Kalchini block office and began throwing stones at the handful of policemen, making them scurry for cover. But soon, the Morcha supporters were pushed back by a stone-throwing mob, while the administration tried to get more police. Shops in the Hamiltongonj market downed shutters fast.
The Morcha activists damaged two police vehicles, which were on their way to the trouble spot. While one was from Hamiltangonj outpost, the other was from Hasimara. Around 11am, the minister of state (public works), Manohar Tirkey, arrived at the BDO office only to be heckled by people who wanted to know from him what the administration was doing to prevent government offices from being locked up. The police whisked him away.
By noon, reinforcements arrived from Alipurduar and Cooch Behar and they tried to keep the two groups at bay. Seven policemen and six others were injured. The police later said 16 of its men were hurt.
After 4pm, Jalpaiguri police superintendent Manoj Verma arrived with a large force. Tear-gas shells were burst to chase away Morcha people. Morcha People ran helter-skelter and motorcycles parked on the roadside fell on their sides in the melee. Section 144 of Cr. PC has been clamped on the area.
The SDO, Alice Vez, said the Morcha had not informed the administration that it would hold a rally.
This surprised the staff members as well as block development officer R.R. Sunder, who came out of their offices. Shouting pro-Gorkhaland slogans, the Morcha rallyists proceeded to lock up the block and the adjacent panchayat samiti offices. GJMM supporters then reached the Latabari Gram Panchyat Office and demanded that office to be locked up.
The employees told the rallyists to move away and not to disturb them. The Morcha supporters refused to budge and slowly a crowd started gathering. Soon, angry people surrounded the Morcha protesters.
Mr. Ranjit Ghosh, Convenor of the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee, Jalpaiguri, said this incensed the locals who started the protesting. The GJMM supporters then started attacking the locals. Armed with the traditional Khukris and axes, GJMM agitators threw stones at the locals and their houses. They attacked Alipurduar MP Mr. Joachim Buxla”s house, inflicting serious injuries on his wife Malati. The GJMM supporters damaged nearly hundred houses by pelting them with stones. Morcha supporters also stabbed two persons- Mr. Harish Sarkar and Mr. R.Rastogi.
The news of the clash spread fast and a large number of Morcha supporters arrived at the Kalchini block office and began throwing stones at the handful of policemen, making them scurry for cover. But soon, the Morcha supporters were pushed back by a stone-throwing mob, while the administration tried to get more police. Shops in the Hamiltongonj market downed shutters fast.
The Morcha activists damaged two police vehicles, which were on their way to the trouble spot. While one was from Hamiltangonj outpost, the other was from Hasimara. Around 11am, the minister of state (public works), Manohar Tirkey, arrived at the BDO office only to be heckled by people who wanted to know from him what the administration was doing to prevent government offices from being locked up. The police whisked him away.
By noon, reinforcements arrived from Alipurduar and Cooch Behar and they tried to keep the two groups at bay. Seven policemen and six others were injured. The police later said 16 of its men were hurt.
After 4pm, Jalpaiguri police superintendent Manoj Verma arrived with a large force. Tear-gas shells were burst to chase away Morcha people. Morcha People ran helter-skelter and motorcycles parked on the roadside fell on their sides in the melee. Section 144 of Cr. PC has been clamped on the area.
The SDO, Alice Vez, said the Morcha had not informed the administration that it would hold a rally.
1 comment:
Appropos
= "HAVE YOUR SAY: DEMAND OF SILIGURI/DOOARS IN GORKHALAND
Posted by barunroy on December 12, 2008
BY UTTAR BANGA JANA JAGARAN MANCH"=
One would have considered this write up by its editor, Mr. N.B., a balanced one, had it also covered the issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators who are actually fighting against the Gorkhaland movement tooth and nail with the tacit support of the incumbent government.
The long and the short of this cliched ghisa-pita arguements in this article is that there’s a veiled threat of Ethnic clashes in the Dooars and the Terai and an Economic blockade, both at the instance of the ruling party. They’ll go to any extent because GJMM’s democratic movement is gaining momentum and overwhelming them.
The credibility of this article can be gauged from the fact that UBJJM has its own hidden agenda of UttarbangaState. Just check out in the profile of “Voice of the People” (website of Uttar Banga Jan Jagaran Manch). It says - “Blog has been removed. Sorry, the blog at uttarbangastate.blogspot.com has been removed. This address is not available for new blogs”.
Now why have double standards? It is constitutionally ok and democratic to aspire for Uttarbanga State, given the state the area and its people are in since independence. But this should legitimately be FOR the bhadraloks, BY the bhadraloks of West Bengal and NOT for or by those species who did not occur historically in these areas but were merely TRANSLOCATED much later from neighbouring Bangladesh!!!
Who knows, THAT could be the ultimate solution to the vexed problem of Gorkhaland.
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