Gurung only interested in tripartite talks
The Hindu
Siliguri (PTI): The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Thursday said it was no longer interested in holding talks with the West Bengal government on Gorkhaland issue and was awaiting tripartite talks in Delhi.
GJM president Bimal Gurung made the comment while reacting to West Bengal Home Secretary A M Chakraborty's recent statement here last week that further talks between the GJM and state government were required to find a solution to the Darjeeling problem.
Gurung said that during talks with the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in the last week of June, GJM leaders had requested Bhattacharjee to take the initiative for tripartite talks involving the Centre, state government and GJM.
"But we have not received any further invitation from the government. We can give our opinion only after we receive the invitation," Gurung said.
The GJM's insistence on tripartite talks, meanwhile, received a shot in the arm when three major constituents of the Darjeeling district Left Front -- CPI, AIFB and RSP -- unequivocally stressed the need for having immediate three-way dialogue.
Darjeeling district secretary of Forward Bloc Smritish Bhattacharya told PTI that the state government should take an immediate initiative for the talks.
Similarly, the CPI district secretary, Ujjawal Choudhury, said the state government should not lose any further time for the talks and the GJM at the same time should come forward with a positive frame of mind.
RSP district secretary Benoy Chakraborty went a step further, saying, "The GJM is doing the right thing by not showing interest in talks with the state government as the government has created the situation itself by indulging Ghising for almost two decades."
GJM chief Gurung only interested in tripartite talks
Siliguri, July 03: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Thursday said it was no longer interested in holding talks with the West Bengal government on Gorkhaland issue and was awaiting tripartite talks in Delhi.
GJM president Bimal Gurung made the comment while reacting to West Bengal Home Secretary A M Chakraborty's recent statement here last week that further talks between the GJM and state government were required to find a solution to the Darjeeling problem.
Gurung said that during talks with the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in the last week of June, GJM leaders had requested Bhattacharjee to take the initiative for tripartite talks involving the centre, state government and GJM.
"But we have not received any further invitation from the government. We can give our opinion only after we receive the invitation," Gurung said.
The GJM's insistence on tripartite talks, meanwhile, received a shot in the arm when three major constituents of the Darjeeling district Left front -- CPI, AIFB and RSP -- unequivocally stressed the need for having immediate three-way dialogue.
Darjeeling district secretary of Forward Bloc Smritish Bhattacharya said that the state government should take an immediate initiative for the talks.
Similarly, the CPI district secretary, Ujjawal Choudhury, said the state government should not lose any further time for the talks and the GJM at the same time should come forward with a positive frame of mind.
RSP district secretary Benoy Chakraborty went a step further, saying, "The GJM is doing the right thing by not showing interest in talks with the state government as the government has created the situation itself by indulging Ghising for almost two decades."
SC directs Centre to ensure smooth traffic movement on NH 31A
The Supreme Court today directed the centre, the governments of Sikkim and West Bengal to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the National Highway 31A, the lone road linking Sikkim to rest of the country which is frequently blocked by pro and anti-Gorkhaland supporters.
A bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir also ordered the organisations, agitating in favour and against the creation of Gorkhaland, not to block traffic or people movement on the highway which is the lifeline of Sikkim.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by a Sikkim resident O P Bhandari seeking directions to governments to ensure safe transportation of essential commodities to the state through the highway which often becomes the venue of protests on the Gorkhaland issue.
The petitioner pleaded that frequent bandhs and strikes in the recent past had badly affected normal life of people in the state and its economy was adversely affected by the ongoing agitation.
"Sikkim is a land locked state surrounded by three foreign countries and National Highway 31A is the only road connecting the state to the country. The ongoing agitations have disrupted the supply of essential commodities as it is highly dependent on other states," Bhandari said.
Zee News - Bureau Report
Keep highway open, says SC
OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph
New Delhi, July 3: The Supreme Court today reminded the Bengal government its responsibility to maintain law and order within the state and directed it to keep NH31A, the sole road link to Sikkim, clear for traffic during the Gorkhaland bandh.
The Gorka Janmukti Morcha’s shutdown in the Darjeeling hills is scheduled to resume from Saturday.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by a resident of Sikkim, O.P. Bhandari, drawing the attention of the Supreme Court to the road blockades Sikkim faced during bandhs in Bengal.
On June 24, Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta and defence secretary Vijay Singh met Bengal chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb on the matter and concluded that all steps would be taken to keep NH31A blockade-free during bandhs.
Today, the apex court directed the Centre to provide all assistance sought by the states of Sikkim and Bengal to ensure free traffic on the highway. It also directed the parties that have called the July 5 shutdown in Darjeeling not to obstruct NH31A.
“No one can be allowed to hold the country to ransom,” a two-judge vacation bench, comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and G.S. Singhvi, said. “Everyday some part of the country or the other is blocked. Road, railroads are blocked… and you are not doing anything as it is the election year,” the bench told Bengal counsel Tara Chand Sharma.
“You are the state of West Bengal. You are required to maintain law and order…keep the national highway (NH31A) free for traffic,” the bench said.
“You are waiting for a court order to do something that you should do by yourself. This is just not fair to ordinary citizens,” the judges added.
Referring to the tendency of state governments across the country not to do anything in the face of such “illegal, unlawful agitations,” the court said: “Lakhs of people suffer during these strikes and agitations. It’s a pity.”
The court referred to the recent one-day bandh in Hyderabad during which seven persons died because they could not reach hospital on time.
When the counsel for the Bengal government tried to say that there was no strike at present and it should be given time to file its reply, the court said: “What about July 5? What is going to happen then? You should stop thinking and do something.”
In Darjeeling, Morcha leaders today accused the Bengal government of using the highway issue to create a rift between Sikkim and the Darjeeling hills.
“We will ourselves solve the issue with Sikkim, the Bengal government is trying to create trouble,” said central committee member, Amar Lama.
‘Gorkhaland’: GJMM seeks Advani’s intervention
DARJEELING, July 3: The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha is all set to submit documents pertaining to the separate state of Gorkhaland to the leader of the Opposition in Parliament Mr LK Advani. “The outcome of meetings with the different leaders in New Delhi recently proved fruitful. We will submit various documents of Darjeeling, Dooars, Terai and Siliguri from the time those areas were ceded to Bengal from their respective territories,” said GJMM general secretary Mr Roshan Giri today.
With the nuclear deal controversy coming in the way of the Gorkhaland movement, Mr Giri cleared that the larger perspective must be considered before taking any decisions. “The Centre is busy trying to save the UPA-Left coalition, which may collapse any day. It would be wise for us to make our moves according to the present political situation. It is encouraging that the union home minister assured that Gorkhaland is a constitutional demand and has not been ruled out by the Centre. He has even agreed to a tripartite meeting to discuss the demand,” Mr Giri said.
Countering the hill-based Opposition parties’ allegation that the GJMM's actions lacked transparency, party central committee member, Mr Amar Lama said: “There is speculation why we went to Kolkata two days ahead of the meeting with the chief minister. The reason is that our party units are being set up in Kolkata and we had to look over such matters. We had no hidden agenda.”
Mr Lama further added: “Some anti-Gorkhaland elements are trying to counter the Gorkhaland movement by linking it with controversial issues like the Greater Nepal theory. It would not affect the movement.” n SNS
Pintail village not to let battalion in
Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, July 3: Pandemonium broke out at the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council tourist resort ‘Pintail Village’ in Siliguri this afternoon over providing accommodation to the security personnel summoned in view of the turmoil in the Darjeeling hills.
Apprehending escalation of the Darjeeling turmoil, the administration has summoned about five companies of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and obtained permission from the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council to lodge the personnel at the ‘Pintail Village’ tourist resort located on the outskirt of Siliguri.
On the other hand, the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM), which is spearheading the renewed bout for Gorkhalnad, is occupying a number of cottages at ‘Pintail Village’ and is using those for its political activities. The GJMM central committee, its Siliguri sub-divisional wing and the women wing are occupying one cottage each allegedly without any formal permission from the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council authorities.
A section of the hill students too had moved into the ‘Pintail Village’ following the violence in Siliguri during an anti-Gorkhaland band on 12 June and since then has been appearing for their under-graduate examinations in Siliguri colleges from the resort.
Thus, when the IRB troops moved into the resort last afternoon and were taking accommodation in the cottages, a section of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha activists confronted them demanding that apart from the three cottages occupied by the GJMM directly, one more cottage would have to be spared for the hill students to enable them to appear for their examinations which are yet to conclude.
With night descending, the tension subdued yesterday only to resurface this afternoon after the security personnel allegedly tossed away the furniture in use by the students.
Pandemonium broke out at the resort, with the GJMM activists and a few of the students present opposing the action demanding another cottage for the students at the same time. Police teams from the Pradhannagar police station and the Sukna outpost arrived at the spot and saved the situation.
According to the ASP Siliguri, Mr Rajesh Yadav, the feud over accommodation has been resolved amicably. “There are a number of cottages at ‘Pintail Village’ and both the IRB personnel and the hill students would lodge there,” the ASP said.
The tourist resort ‘Pintail Village’ was a dream project of the former DGHC chairman, Mr Subash Ghisingh. The resort was built on a plot leased out by the state government to the DGHC as per provisions of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Agreement of 1988.
Court blasts states ‘helpless’ in bandh
OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT - The Telegraph
New Delhi, July 3: The Supreme Court today slammed state governments for their habit of pleading “helplessness” when supporters of “illegal” bandhs harass people through “muscle power”.
The court’s observations came as it asked the Bengal government to ensure that the sole highway to Sikkim was open to traffic when the indefinite Darjeeling hills bandh resumed from Saturday.
“Every day some part of the country or the other is blocked. Roads, railroads are blocked… and you are not doing anything as it is the election year. No one can be allowed to hold the country to ransom,” a two-judge bench said.
“You (the Bengal government) are waiting for a court order to do something that you should do by yourself… then you say there is interference and judicial overreach.”
Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice G.S. Singhvi referred to the recent bandh in Hyderabad during which seven patients died because they could not reach hospital in time.
“Movement of medicine, fuel and everything gets affected and the state expresses its helplessness. This cannot be allowed,” the court said.
The court was hearing a petition by Sikkim resident .P. Bhandari that mentioned the blockade of the state during the recent bandh in the Darjeeling hills.
When Bengal counsel Tara Chand Sharma said there was no strike at present and the state should be given time to reply, the court said: “What about July 5? What is going to happen then? You should stop thinking and do something.”
It added: “You are the state of West Bengal. You are required to maintain law and order… keep the national highway (No. 31) free for traffic.”
The bench directed the Centre to provide whatever help the Sikkim and Bengal governments sought in the matter.
Morcha attack
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders accused the Bengal government of using the Sikkim issue to create a rift between the Himalayan state and the Darjeeling hills. “We’ll ourselves solve the issue with Sikkim; the Bengal government is trying to create trouble,” said Morcha central committee member Amar Lama.
Ensure Sikkim is not cut off from mainland: Supreme Court
Thaindian News
New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The Supreme Court Thursday asked the central and the West Bengal governments to ensure free traffic on the sole road linking Sikkim to the country’s mainland during the stir for Gorkhaland, which may be resumed July 6. A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice G.S. Singhvi also sternly told various outfits spearheading the separate Gorkhaland stir not to disrupt the traffic on National Highway 31A linking Sikkim and Darjeeling.
The bench’s directions came after a hearing of two lawsuits that seek restoration of vehicular traffic on National Highway 31, disrupted since June 14 due to the Gorkhaland agitation in West Bengal. Presently suspended, the stir is likely to resume July 6.
The bench also castigated the governments for invariably forgetting their “constitutional obligations” during various agitations and often becoming tacit supporters or silent spectators of hardships caused to the masses during such stirs.
As Additional Solicitors General P.P. Malhotra and Amarjit Singh, appearing for the central government, wanted the court to issue some specific directions to authorities to ensure free traffic on the road, the bench criticised them for their pleas.
“Do you (the government) need courts’ directions to implement law and order and protect the lives and property of citizens?” it asked. “And when the courts issue such directions, you complain that the we are stepping on to your toes.”
“The governments forget their constitutional obligations and become a party to such illegal agitations,” it observed, citing the example of a recent stir in Mumbai against north Indian migrants.
“When the question of taking actions comes, the governments maintain that they are looking into the matter and stern action will be taken against those found guilty, but nothing happens eventually,” the bench remarked.
“Every time an agitation takes place, authorities turn a blind eye. Nobody can be allowed to hold the country to ransom,” the coyurt observed.
“What’s happening in this country? Can anybody rule it by muscle power?”
The bench was hearing two lawsuits, filed by advocate O.P Bhandari and the Sikkim government, in the wake of the Gorkhaland agitation when the entire stretch of the national highway in West Bengal was blocked, cutting Sikkim off from the mainland of the country. The two lawsuits demanded restoration of traffic on the highway.
The two pleas said due to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)-sponsored shutdown from June 14, the traffic on the entire stretch of NH 31A has come to a grinding halt.
The lawsuits pointed out that NH 31A was the only national highway connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country and people of Sikkim and thousands of tourists were stranded due to the blockade.
The blockade had led to scarcity of essential commodities and medicines in the northeastern state, they pointed out.
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(Posted by Suren Rai, July 4, 2008, 5:05 AM)