Threats, violence prevent shops from reopening

Darjeeling: Threats and violence prevented all shops from reopening in Darjeeling town despite decision taken by traders to open shops from Sunday.

Though shops in the Chowk Bazar area opened, majority of them in the rest of the town remained closed on Sunday.

Posters appeared in Kalimpong town, handwritten in red ink which threatened people with death if anyone dared to open their shops or run vehicles. The posters threatened of an 1986 styled violent agitation as well.

A man whose son studies in a school in Darjeeling was driving up to bring his son back for Puja vacations.

His vehicle was stopped at Chatakpur with the driver beaten up and the vehicle torched.

A vehicle was torched in Lebong, in the outskirts of Darjeeling town while another was vandalised in Sepoydhura. There were incidents of stone pelting on vehicles in the outskirts of Kurseong town.

"We got threat calls warning us of dire consequences if we opened up shops. Under such conditions how can we open up the shops?" questioned a trader.

The police and district administration were on

the streets, using public address system asking people not to fear.

The Bimal Gurung faction of the GJM alleged of

police excess and even claimed that the police were forcing shops open.