Siliguri bandh on Feb 6 and 7

Police atrocity to the hills students in Siliguri (Photo Courtesy: Himalaya Darpan, The Gorkha Daily)

Students set vehicles on fire; confine DM, SDOs
PTI News

Siliguri, Feb 5 (PTI) After a lull, crisis erupted in Darjeeling Hills with Vidyarthi Morcha, the students' wing of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) confining the district magistrate and three sub-divisional officers in their homes and setting two police vehicles and two buses on fire, police said today.

The trouble erupted late last night following a rumour that 22 Vidyarthi Morcha activists were seriously injured in police lathi-charge at Darjeeling More in the afternoon when they were demanding permission for holding a public meeting at the spot tomorrow, they said.

Irate students set on fire two police vehicles -- one each in Kalimpong and Darjeeling reducing them to ashes, besides a North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus and a private one at Kalimpong when the hill towns were asleep, Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) K L Tamta told PTI.

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Darjeeling on the boil, GJM calls for govt vehicles blockade
SamayLive

Darjeeling, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists gheraoed the Darjeeling District Magistrate's office and continued demonstrations in front of his office till the wee hours to protest the arrest of 22 of their cadres. The agitators also set ablaze several police vehicles and injured a police constable yesterday. Police today said GJM's student wing Vidyarthi Janmukti Morcha (VJM) had approached SDO Rajat Sahni for permission to hold public meetings on February 6 and 7 at Dagapur, Baghajatin park and Kanchenjunga staduim in Siliguri.

However, owing to the volatile law and order situation, the SDO denied permission and asked for one week's time to assess the situation, police said. To protest the decision, the activists gheraoed DM Surendra Gupta's office. The activists also sat on an indefinite hunger strike at Darjeeling More. To control the situation, police resorted to lathicharge and detained 22 of GJM's activists, who were later released. Police managed to lift the blockade only at around 0300 hours today. Meanwhile, the GJM has called for an indefinite blockade of government and police vehicles following denial to hold two-day public meeting in Siliguri. ''In protest against this decision we have called for the indefinite bandh of the Central, state and police vehicles,'' GJM press and publicity secretary Kismat Chhetri said. . A request has been sent to the authorities demanding additional forces to control the situation. Meanwhile, the Bangla o Bangla Bhasha Bachao Committee has called for a 48-hour bandh from tomorrow to foil the GJM's attempt to hold public meetings at Siliguri.

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Siliguri bandh on Feb 6 and 7

Siliguri, Feb 5: Bangla Bhasa Bachao Committee has called a Siliguri bandh on February 6 and 7 against the public meeting by Morcha Student Union in Siliguri, Committee is committed to stand against Gorkhaland and its activities in the hills and plains of Siliguri, resolute to stop public meeting in Siliguri.