The Darjeeling Hills on Monday witnessed low-key Eid celebrations amidst the 12-hour window given to the Muslim community to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on the twelfth day of the indefinite shutdown.
People offered prayers at local mosques and as a sign of solidarity to the cause of Gorkhaland, most of them did not use vehicles to visit relatives and friends and travelled by foot instead.
In a statement to The Quint, GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri clarified that the bandh had been lifted only for people to meet their families and offer prayers. Shops and transport will still remain shut, Giri said.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) had on Sunday decided to give a 12-hour relaxation for the Muslims to celebrate the festival during which they could use vehicles to go to the plains and meet their relatives. The relaxation in plying of vehicles would be only for the Muslim community, nor for the general public, the GJM said.
Police and security forces patrolled the streets. Shops and markets remained closed. Medicine shops, hospital and private nursing homes were open.
On Sunday, Binay Tamang, GJM’s Assistant General Secretary had said:
There will be a partial relaxation of the bandh for the Muslims here on the occasion of Eid. We have contacted the Imam of Darjeeling and Imam of Kurseong regarding the relaxation. The partial relaxation will be given to the Muslims keeping in mind the religious importance of this festival. However, it is not for general public.
On Sunday morning, several people led by the GJM activists rallied from Chawk Bazar to Singmari carrying national flags and shouting pro-Gorkhaland slogans in the city.
The activists also reopened the GJM party office at Singmari that has been closed since the clash with the police and security forces on 17 June.
On Friday, 43 GJM leaders including party chief BImal Gurung resorted to mass resignation from the GTA – the developmental board in the North Bengal hills – and vowed to burn the GTA regulation act documents in public on 27 June as a symbolic protest against the board.
While the GJM has repeatedly rejected any possibility of talks with the state government, the Bengal government maintains that it is ready for a discussion after the situation in the area is normalised.
(With PTI and IANS inputs)
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