GJM not to attend meeting to choose Bimal Gurung's successor in GTA

DARJEELING: The GJM today announced that it would not attend the GTA meeting on September four, even as the indefinite agitation in Darjeeling to demand release of the over 700 party leaders and supporters entered the fourth day today.

GJM town committee assistant general secretary Raju Pradhan said that the party would not take part in the meeting to decide on a successor to party chief Bimal Gurung, who had resigned as CEO from the hill council, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, on July 31.

Pradhan told a rally at Chowkbazar that the GJM wanted dissolution of the GTA.

Normal life continued to remain paralysed with shops and markets, government offices, banks, post offices and schools and colleges closed.

There was no report of any fresh arrest. Altogether 724 leaders and supporters of GJM have been arrested since August three.

The GJM president had said yesterday that the leadership fully respected the observations of the Calcutta High Court and claimed that no diktat was issued to the people.

He had said that the agitation should not be construed as a bandh, but was an expression of the free will of the people and that there would be no force, intimidation or coercion of any sort.

The high court had on August 14 expressed displeasure over the GJM's violation of its order of August 7 which had held the indefinite bandh in Darjeeling as illegal.

Gurung had also said that the 'Ghar Bhaira Janta Program' (people on the streets) was being intensified further and would continue till the GJM leaders and supporters were released.