Army called out to keep peace in India's Darjeeling region

Jun 12, 2008, 12:48 GMT

New Delhi - The Indian army was called out to help keep peace in the country's troubled eastern Darjeeling region on Thursday amid reports of fresh violence sparked by an agitation for greater autonomy.

A regional party representing Gorkha people, who are ethnic Nepalis, had called for an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling district of eastern West Bengal state from Tuesday in support of its demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland within India.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Gorkha People's Liberation Front - GJM) announced Wednesday that it would relax the strike for three days to allow tourists to leave the area.

But violence broke out Thursday with anti-Gorkhaland protestors indulging in brickbatting and beating up ethnic Nepalis in some areas, IANS news agency and NDTV television channel reported.

A regional group opposed to Gorkhaland had called for a two-day strike in Siliguri, the district's main commercial centre, beginning Thursday.

Meanwhile, GJM activists attacked a tourist vehicle injuring eight passengers, the police said.

Darjeeling is a popular summer destination for tourists. Most had left since the GJM gave its strike call, but those who remained were having a tough time with no transport and scarcity of foodstuffs.

Thousands of tourists were stranded in neighbouring Sikkim state with the highway linking the state with the nearest railhead and airport in Siliguri in the Darjeeling foothills cut off by a blockade by protestors.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya had asked the army to stage flag marches in Siliguri and adjacent areas, IANS reported.

Bhattacharjee has also called for a meeting of all political parties in state capital Kolkata on June 17 to discuss the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.

Darjeeling used to be the summer capital of British-ruled India when Kolkata was the capital. The colonial rulers shifted their headquarters to Delhi in 1911.

More than 1000 people died in an earlier campaign for Gorkhaland in the 1980s which was settled after Darjeeling district was given a special governing council with more autonomy, but it remained part of West Bengal state.

The movement has resurfaced again with the larger demand of a separate state.