Bandh in North Bengal to oppose Gorkhaland deal

A 48-hour bandh is being observed in North Bengal to oppose the tripartite agreement to be signed on Monday to pave the way for setting up of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, the new hill council in Darjeeling.

The shutdown has been called by plains-based organisations Amra Bangali, Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetana to protest the move.

Private cars and buses remained off the roads and shops and markets were closed in Siliguri, the plains subdivision of Darjeeling district, official sources said. The situation was similar in neighbouring Jalpaiguri district's Malbazar and Alipurduar areas.

Work in tea gardens in the Terai and Dooars, which lie across Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, was affected, the sources said.

The bandh is being supported by the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, which opposes inclusion of Dooars and Terai in the GTA.

Communist Party of India - Marxist leader Surya Kanta Mishra has said that opposition parties were not consulted prior to signing the agreement.

Mishra, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, said the nomenclature Gorkhaland Territorial Administration was misleading and was bound to create disunity in the Darjeeling hills.

The tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hill authority between the Centre, West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would be signed on Monday.