Anti-Gorkhaland body calls 24-hour shutdown in Silliguri
March 18th, 2010 - 3:35 pm ICT by ANISilliguri, Mar 18 (ANI): Activists of the Bangla-O-Bangla Bhasa Bachao committee, a regional forum, called for a 24-hour here, protesting the fifth round of tripartite talks to be held with central officials in New today.
Most of the shops were closed with only few school and government buses running along with some private vehicles in Siliguri. Picketers blocked the road and stopped local autos and rickshaws.
The committee says that the district of Darjeeling comes under the purview of West Bengal state and it cannot be divided by any means.
“The purpose of this meeting (tripartite talks) is a conspiracy to hand over part of Bengal, that is Darjeeling, to the rebel Nepalese, in the form of giving them more power, more power or more self-government with powerful more than …schedule. We strongly oppose it; we will never accept partition of Bengal or any Gorkhaland demand,” said Mukunda Majumdar, president of the committee.
The Gorkhaland Movement has taken a different turn after the GJM proposed the establishment of an interim council till December 31, 2011, as a precursor to the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state.
The Gorkhaland Regional Authority seeks to have legislative powers on matters such as town and country planning, culture and mining of certain minerals.
The Gorkha population in West Bengal is estimated to be around a million. (ANI)
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- Protest in Siliguri against formation of a separate Gorkhaland - Sep 07, 2010
- A non-political outfit calls for 48-hour shutdown in Siliguri - Jan 16, 2011
- Half-day hunger strike staged in West Bengal against Gorkhaland demand - Dec 15, 2009
- Gorkha group calls for 240-hour shutdown next month - May 13, 2010
- Shutdown in Siliguri, Dooars against Darjeeling accord - Jul 18, 2011
- Gorkhaland demand not a closed chapter: GJM - Jul 18, 2011
- Shutdown affects life in north Bengal towns - May 15, 2010
- Mamata blames centre for delay on Gorkha autonomy (Lead) - Feb 11, 2012
- Mamata blames centre for delay on Gorkha autonomy - Feb 11, 2012
- Divide Darjeeling into two districts: GJM - Aug 03, 2011
- Darjeeling accord on July 18: Mamata (Lead) - Jul 15, 2011
- Ahead of meet with GJM, Mamata rejects Bengal's division (Lead) - Feb 11, 2012
- Gorkha group to meet Mamata for honouring accord - Feb 10, 2012
- Pintail adds another twist in Darjeeling's politics - Jul 18, 2011
Tags: bangla, bhasa, buses, darjeeling, december 31, gjm, interim council, legislative powers, nepalese, partition of bengal, picketers, precursor, private vehicles, purview, regional authority, regional forum, self government, town and country, tripartite talks, west bengal state