Talks over,Morcha acts tough again,Hills shut down

Prior to the talks on December 29 in the national Capital,GJM had relaxed its forced shutdown of the district administration in an effort to create a “more conducive atmosphere” for the talks. Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi,Gurung said the shutdown will extend to all offices of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council as well.

Meanwhile,the failure of the Darjeeling police to arrest GJM Kurseong area president Pradip Pradhan on Wednesday from Bagdogra airport,for his role in the Rohini violence,appears to have sparked discontent among the top echelons of the police. Ever since the Morcha agitation began gathering steam,the district police and administration were asked to “look the other way” while the GJM carried out its agenda.

Earlier this week,a team of the district police led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police,had tried to arrest Pradhan from the airport only to be told by Gurung that any move to do so would “create unrest” in the Hills.

In keeping with the Bengal government’s policy of “non-confrontation”,the police backed out,allowing Pradhan and Gurung to leave for Delhi.

In Siliguri,IGP (North Bengal) K L Tamta said the police did not intervene in a number of instances where Morcha supporters have flouted the law because of instructions from the government. “Even though the police were present,they could not take action because we have been advised to do so,” he said.

Citing several examples of Morcha high-handedness,Tamta said: “I feel guilty as the police cannot perform its constitutional duty to protect life and property of law-abiding citizens. Some senior police officers are also depressed because of this. The situation in the Hills can be brought under control in a few hours if we are given a free hand.”