After Mamata opposes bandh call, Opposition bench in GTA lifts strike

After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vehemently opposed the 12-hour bandh call given by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration members of the Opposition bench in the GTA area on February 23 — the commencement day of Madhyamik exams — the members from the Opposition bench of the GTA withdrew the strike.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had warned by stating that if anyone ‘takes the law in their hands, the government will not spare them.’

She had even ordered the administration to take stringent steps to ensure that in no way Madhyamik students face harassment.

Meanwhile, the bandh had hardly found support from other political outfits and organisations. Most dubbed it as a wrong step at the time of the Madhyamik examination, the North Bengal University semester examination and the reopening of Hill schools after the long winter recess.

Protesting against the motion moved in the state Assembly on Monday against ‘attempts to divide Bengal’, nine members of the GTA from the Opposition bench sat in a 24-hour long hunger strike below the martyr column at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha premises at the Darjeeling Chowrasta on Monday and had even announced a 12-hour long bandh in the GTA area on February 23. Barely finding any support from other political outfits and organisations, the members from the opposition bench of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) withdrew the strike which was slated for February 23— the commencement day of Madhyamik exams—within 24 hours of raising the ‘bandh call.’ The decision to lift the strike comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vehemently opposed the 12-hour bandh call given by the GTA members of the Opposition bench in the GTA area. Earlier, the Chief Minister had warned by stating that if anyone ‘takes the law in their hands, the government will not spare them.’

Protesting against the motion moved in the state Assembly on Monday against ‘attempts to divide Bengal’, nine members of the GTA from the opposition bench sat in a 24-hour long hunger strike below the martyr column at the Gorkha Ranga Mancha premises at the Darjeeling Chowrasta on Monday and had even announced a 12-hour long bandh in the GTA area on February 23.

“The motion is unconstitutional. During the tabling of the motion, they had talked of a Gorkha influx and had also labeled Adivasis as immigrants. Are Gorkhas foreigners? It has hurt our sentiments. That is why we had appealed to all Gorkhas to observe a bandh on February 23. We even completed our 24 hour long hunger strike on Wednesday noon. However after taking feedback we have decided to suspend the bandh. We are not afraid of Bengal. We will give them a befitting reply,” stated Ajoy Edwards a GTA member and president of the Hamro Party. He stated that they will sit in a meeting to chalk out a future plan of action.

Banerjee had even ordered the administration to take stringent steps to ensure that in no way the Madhyamik students face harassment. Most dubbed it as a wrong step at the time of Madhyamik examination, North Bengal University semester examination and reopening of Hill schools after the long winter recess.

“We welcome the bandh being withdrawn. However, it is a display of immature leadership. On the day Madhyamik examinations are commencing, University examinations are on and ICSE admit cards will be distributed, how can one call for a bandh? Schools have just reopened after a winter recess. However, they are known to change colours like chameleons. Just before the municipal elections they were talking of ensuring that GTA is a bandh free zone,” stated Keshav Raj Pokhrel, Spokesperson, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM.)

He stated that bandh calls alone have a huge and damaging impact. “At a time when the tourism industry has started looking up after the Pandemic, a bandh call sends a very wrong message. We will not allow peace to be disturbed. The fight for Gorkhaland will be technical, no more violent agitation like 1986, 2007 and 2017” added Pokhrel.

Even the transporters and tourism industry had shied away from the bandh, earlier. “We will not support the bandh. We are not anti Gorkhaland and have actively participated in all the agitations. However after two years of Pandemic when transporters could not pay EMI of their vehicles, hotels were empty; At a time when things are looking up and Darjeeling has had a record winter tourist season, a bandh at this juncture is unwarranted. Headlines like- the Hills are burning, yet again, sends a very wrong message to the rest of the country,” stated SN Pradhan of the Himalayan Transport Coordination Committee.

Pradhan had suggested that if a bandh was required for Gorkhaland then opinion of political outfits, tourism and transport industry along with education institutions would have to be considered. “The agitation should be in Delhi and not here. This bandh should be withdrawn,” Pradhan had stated earlier.

“Darjeeling tea industry is losing its charisma with plantations running in losses. It is difficult to put a financial figure to the losses incurred by the tea industry by even a one-day bandh,” stated Madhav Sarda, MD, Golden Tips Tea.

Even BJP’s All India vice-president Dilip Ghosh opposed the bandh. In a meeting at Birpara in Alipurduar, Ghosh stated: “Hill leaders do all this for their personal gains. They are always misleading people.”