GJM announces one-month sabbatical from strike, bandh

Express News Service

Kolkata, July 5 Period between July 7 and Aug 7 to be utilised for groundwork for tripartite talks

The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) has decided not to impose bandhs and strikes in Darjeeling from July 7 to August 7. During this period, efforts will be intensified to prepare the ground for a tripartite meeting with the state and Central governments over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland. The decision was taken at a central committee meeting of the GJM on Saturday.

GJM spokesman Roshan Giri said the Nepali community in Darjeeling holds prayer meetings in July and August. And in view of this, the central committee had unanimously decided not to organise any bandhs and strikes during the one-month period.

The GJM’s boycott of government offices, however, will continue. Timber movement from forests will also not be allowed. There will be no work done at the DGHC office, too. Post offices, banks and Food Corporation of India godowns will be exempted from the boycott on Mondays and Fridays.

Giri claimed that GJM’s programme of introducing GL (Gorkahaland) number plates for vehicles will be implemented from July 7. In the first phase, only GJM’s central committee members will change the number plates of their vehicles. In the next phase, government vehicles will be asked to do the same and finally, the public will be asked to shift to GL number plates. When told that the district administration had threatened action if car registration numbers were tampered with, the Morcha leader said: “The state government and its administration are free to take any action.”

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