Spate of bandhs from 15-19 July in N Bengal

Siliguri, 14 July: Several organisations, active in the Terai and the Dooars of north Bengal, have called for back-to-back separate bandhs from 15-19 July in protest against proposed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), a tripartite treaty proposed to be signed this week-end. While eight organisations, including Amra Bangali, Terai-Dooars Nagarik Manch called a 24-hour shutdown in the region tomorrow, the Adibasi Vikash Parisad again called a 48-hour bandh in the Terai and Dooars on 16 and 17 July.
To complicate matters, the Bangla-o-Bangla Bhasa Bachaon Committee also pitched in by giving a two-day bandh call on 18-19 July in protest against the proposed GTA. The police and administration were worried over the spate of bandhs as chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee was expected to visit Darjeeling Hills on  18-19 July to sign the GTA treaty though support base of the organisations having called the bandh was confined to same particular pockets. Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) (in-charge), Mr DT Lepcha told reporters that police would take appropriate measures if there was any move to disturb the peace. Former minister and senior CPI(M) leader, Mr  Ashok Bhattacharya, said that though Marxists had opposed the bandh call, it would have been better had the decision on GTA been taken after discussion with all parties and communities of Terai-Dooars.
A leader of Adibasi Vikash Parishad, Mr Tej Kumar Toppo, alleged that the nine-member assessment committee formed by the state government to examine the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) demand to include 196 'moujas' of Terai and Dooars did not include even a singe Adivasi member though the community was the majority in the region. pti