Thousands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha activists on Tuesday held demonstrations in the Darjeeling hills and burnt copies of the Gorkha Territorial Administration accord, reported PTI. Copies of the accord were gutted in Darjeeling, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Mirik, Gorubathan and at least a couple of places in the Dooars at 11.19 am, reported the Hindustan Times.
On the 13th day of the indefinite shutdown, some GJM activists also participated in the protests bare-chested, and broke tubelights over their backs, leading to injuries, said PTI.
GJM cadre claimed that there is now no entity in the hills called GTA. We don’t want GTA. We want Gorkhaland. We will continue our agitation for a separate state. We will not participate in the election to GTA,” a GJM leader said. “By burning the GTA accord we ended relations with the state government”.
“Today we conducted the funeral of the GTA accord,” said GJM assistant secretary Binay Tamang according to the Hindustan Times. “After today, no one will utter the word GTA. We are appealing to all parties not to participate if the state government wants to hold elections to the GTA. If anyone contests, he will do so at his own risk.”
Police were deployed as a security measure. Two IPS officers led the police patrols on the streets of Darjeeling. All 45 members of the GTA who belonged to GJM, including the GTA’s Chief Executive Bimal Gurung, had resigned on June 23. The Centre, the state government and GJM had signed the GTA accord in 2011.
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