The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Sunday resumed its agitation by putting up road blockades and launching an indefinite fast. Three National Highways were blocked for three hours.
GJM leader Roshan Giri told The Hindu that the programme was being conducted by the organisation’s students’ wing. He, however, declined to explain why it was spearheading the agitation that was suspended last weekend following a request by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram to create a cordial atmosphere for talks. The hunger strike for nine days saw the hospitalisation of some of the activists.
Mr. Giri said relay fast programmes had begun in four places — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Siliguri. A spokesperson of the students’ wing said road blockades were put up for three hours on National Highways 31, 31A and NH 55. These roads connect Sikkim, Darjeeling and the North Eastern States with the rest of the country.
Tripartite talks were held for two-and-half hour earlier this week to restore peace in the Darjeeling Hills, which was rocked by a spate of agitations by the GJM. It ended without any agreement on the Gorkhaland issue in the absence of a political consensus
Although the GJM expressed satisfaction that the talks revolved around the issue as demanded by it, its president Bimal Gurung (who stayed away from the meeting) said later that the struggle would go on and the agitation would be resumed.
