KUMANI/DARJEELING/KOLKATA: The Sibchu firing that catapulted the Dooars and the Darjeeling Hills into a state of unrest took a new turn on Saturday as a third victim, Nita Khawas, 23, died in a Siliguri hospital in the afternoon.
The death added to the tension in the Hills that may explode any day.
The hotspot, however, was Kumani in Kalimgpong where central interlocutor Lt Gen (retd) Vijay Madan held talks with GJM leaders only to be told that there was no question of talks without the inclusion of Gorkhaland in the agenda.
Madan tried hard to reason with the GJM team, led by its president Bimal Gurung and comprising Roshan Giri and H B Chhetri during the meeting at Khumani, near Sibchu.
He asked them to give peace a chance, especially after three-way talks seemed to have made headway, with GJM almost agreeing to the interim arrangement: a Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council with more powers.
Madan asked them not to jeopardize the tripartite talks, but GJM leaders ruled out the Council, harping on the formation of Gorkhaland with inclusion of Dooars and Terai.
As the meeting was being held, Adivasi Vikash Parishad spokesman John Barla said: "We shall never allow Dooars and Terai to be part of Gorkhaland. Nor will we allow GJM to hold rallies here."
Amid the Centre's efforts to broker peace, state home secretary G D Gautama said: "The state government will not succumb to pressure in dealing with the violent mode of agitation." His statement came after Gurung, against whom an FIR has been lodged, said any attempt to arrest him "will put the Hills on fire".
GJM president Bimal Gurung threatened to intensify the stir if any attempt was made to arrest him, but chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee made a last-ditch attempt to buy peace. Addressing a public function on Saturday, the CM said: "The problem in Darjeeling can be sorted out through peaceful political talks and we are ready for that... We cannot compromise with violence." The CM was speaking at the annual combined parade of West Bengal and Kolkata Police Force here.
Meanwhile, GJM's indefinite strike call since February 9 demanding a CBI inquiry into the Sibchu police firing on February 8, which left two of its supporters dead, seemed to have had no effect in the plains. In the Hills, the situation was tense as the 23-year-old Nita, a resident of Sitong II block under Mongpu Latpanchar constituency, died around 2.30pm on Saturday. The police firing victim and GLP member was brought to the Siliguri hospital from Darjeeling on Tuesday. She is the third police firing casualty. Three others are admitted in hospitals.
Ahead of Madan's visit, the GJM put off its elaborate agitation programme, which included gheraoing police stations, in the Hills. GJM members restricted themselves to squatting on the road at Chowk Bazaar. The fourth day of the bandh was generally peaceful even as police continued extensive raids since Friday night, and arrested GJM members Puran Loreng, Sanjay Tamang and Bikas Rai from Bojonbari. The arrests were in connection with the burning of the Bijonbari block office on Tuesday. The three were produced in court and given 14 days' judicial custody.
Meanwhile, Lakshman Prasad, owner of a garage, was brought back to Malbazar on Saturday in custody of the police. On Thursday, he had gone to Kumani to repair a truck, but was beaten up by GJM supporters.
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