Vivek Chhetri
Darjeeling, June 7: Scared traders kept shops in Darjeeling and Kalimpong shuttered a day after a court in Calcutta ordered the arrest of 23 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders named in the Madan Tamang murder chargesheet.
The Morcha, mindful that a bandh-like atmosphere in the hills could prove counter-productive in court, issued a media release requesting traders not to keep stores closed.
This is the first time since September 2013 that businesses in the hills have stayed shut. Two years ago, businesses were closed for several days when the Morcha, spurred by the Telangana statehood nod, renewed its movement for Gorkhaland and called a shutdown.
Although vehicles were running today, the abrupt closure of shops has the potential to keep summer tourists away and cripple the hill economy.
The Morcha, which has complete hold of the political set-up in Darjeeling, said traders kept their shops shut to show solidarity with the party, but some shopkeepers said it was the uncertainty after the court order that made them wary.
“There is an air of uncertainty since yesterday. Since no one opened the shops, I, too, did not,” said a trader in Darjeeling who didn’t want to be named. Another shopkeeper said he kept his store open till around 9am, “but when no one opened their shops, I too closed mine later”.
The Morcha’s legal team is expected to move bail applications for the 23 accused in Calcutta High Court tomorrow. The CBI has been told to arrest the accused by June 26.
Some political observers said the shutting of shops could be used by Morcha opponents to argue that the leaders, if granted bail, could influence witnesses.
In a media release this evening, the Morcha said: “We would like to appeal to the traders not to keep their business establishments closed.” Anit Thapa, a central committee member of the Morcha, issued the media release, saying: “The fact that people chose to keep their business establishments closed, even though we had not given such a call, is an indication that people do not believe the allegations against our leadership.”
Thapa appealed for “peace” saying the legal matter “must be fought legally”.
Morcha chief Bimal Gurung and 22 party leaders have been accused of murder in the final chargesheet of the CBI in the Madan Tamang case.
Tamang was hacked to death in the heart of Darjeeling town in full public view on May 21, 2010, when he was overseeing preparations for a political meeting. At the time he was murdered, Tamang was the most vocal critic of the Morcha.
The Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the party Tamang founded and which is now led by his widow Bharati, today demanded security for the nearly 100 witnesses in the case, apprehending that they may be threatened.
Source: Telegraph
Darjeeling, June 7: Scared traders kept shops in Darjeeling and Kalimpong shuttered a day after a court in Calcutta ordered the arrest of 23 Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leaders named in the Madan Tamang murder chargesheet.
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| Shops which remained closed in Darjeeling on Sunday. Picture by Suman Tamang |
This is the first time since September 2013 that businesses in the hills have stayed shut. Two years ago, businesses were closed for several days when the Morcha, spurred by the Telangana statehood nod, renewed its movement for Gorkhaland and called a shutdown.
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| Morcha tells traders to open shops in the hills |
The Morcha, which has complete hold of the political set-up in Darjeeling, said traders kept their shops shut to show solidarity with the party, but some shopkeepers said it was the uncertainty after the court order that made them wary.
“There is an air of uncertainty since yesterday. Since no one opened the shops, I, too, did not,” said a trader in Darjeeling who didn’t want to be named. Another shopkeeper said he kept his store open till around 9am, “but when no one opened their shops, I too closed mine later”.
The Morcha’s legal team is expected to move bail applications for the 23 accused in Calcutta High Court tomorrow. The CBI has been told to arrest the accused by June 26.
Some political observers said the shutting of shops could be used by Morcha opponents to argue that the leaders, if granted bail, could influence witnesses.
In a media release this evening, the Morcha said: “We would like to appeal to the traders not to keep their business establishments closed.” Anit Thapa, a central committee member of the Morcha, issued the media release, saying: “The fact that people chose to keep their business establishments closed, even though we had not given such a call, is an indication that people do not believe the allegations against our leadership.”
Thapa appealed for “peace” saying the legal matter “must be fought legally”.
Morcha chief Bimal Gurung and 22 party leaders have been accused of murder in the final chargesheet of the CBI in the Madan Tamang case.
Tamang was hacked to death in the heart of Darjeeling town in full public view on May 21, 2010, when he was overseeing preparations for a political meeting. At the time he was murdered, Tamang was the most vocal critic of the Morcha.
The Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the party Tamang founded and which is now led by his widow Bharati, today demanded security for the nearly 100 witnesses in the case, apprehending that they may be threatened.
Source: Telegraph
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