Gorkhaland: Darjeeling Hills on Fire: Woman Constable Stabbed

In a repeat of the tested terror tactics that Subash Gheising used some 25 years back, Gurung & Co of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) unleashed a spate of violence in the Darjeeling hills and Dooars on 8^th February’2011 in which a lady constable Karuna Tigga was stabbed on the forehead by a GJM activist prompting police and CRPF forces to retaliate in self defense resulting in the death of a young GJM activist woman aged 24 years and a teenager of 16.

This further aggravated the situation and GJM activist went on unparallel violence putting on fire government offices, buildings and cars and the damage to governmental property was so extensive that GJM President Bimal Gurung issued a statement appealing their cadres to stop destroying properties and maintain peace.

A list of properties put on fire and/or vandalized is available as follows:-

1. Silver Fir – an office housing DGHC tourism department and located at chourasta was burnt down.

2. Car of District and sessions Judge and one police van parked at Darjeeling District   Magistrate’s office were torched.

3. One car of District administration was torched near Kurseong Motor Stand

4. A forest office at giddepahar uphill of Kurseong was vandalized.

5. The properties torched at Kalimpong include –  WBFDC divisional manager’s bunglow, PWD office and office of the BDO. The divisional managers bunglow was completely destroyed and personal belongings of the Manager Ujjal Ghose also went up in flames.

6. Two buses, one belonging to North Bengal State Transport Corporation were torched at Kalimpong Bus Stand

7. WBFDC guest houses at Jaldhaka and Lava and a police outpost at Pedong in Kalimpong sub-division were razed. The office of the Lava forest range officer was torched.

8. Towards evening, GJM cadres torched a forest rest house and cottage at Gorubathan, a WBFDC office at Samsing, the beat office at Sonada, a forest office at Bhutiabusty and a forest rest house at Paren.

9. At night the electricity and telephone exchange in Darjeeling were set ablaze while Bijonbari fire station was destroyed by fire set on by mob fury.

Roshan Giri, Secretary of GJM however denied involvement of GJM supporters in the incidents of torching, vandalizing and destroying government properties and said “We want this agitation to be peaceful and democratic.”

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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