Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has called for a 72-hour bandh in the Darjeeling Hills to assert their demand for Gorkhaland from Monday.
“We have been told that the central government is going to concede the demand to carve out a Telengana state out of Andhra Pradesh. When they are ready to form Telengana, why wouldn’t they give us Gorkhaland?” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri reportedly said.
The call for the shutdown by GJM comes ahead of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coordination committee meet on July 31 to discuss the formation of Telangana state despite opposition.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung had asked the people to stock up sufficient supply of foodgrains and other essential items in the wake of the shutdown.
A tripartite agreement was made in 2011 between GJM, the state and the central governments for setting up of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). It would be an autonomous and elected hill council armed with more powers than its predecessor — the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council formed in the late 1980s.
The GJM now runs the GTA after sweeping its maiden elections last July.
–IANS