GJMM leader Anmole Prasad resigned ..Hill murder ‘planned’.. The writ of Bimal Gurung and the Gorkha Janamukti

KalimNews: GJM Central Committee member Anmole Prasad resigned from GJMM.  Unofficial sources said that 27 GJMM supporters of Kalimpong have resigned from the party in protest against the violence of 22nd may and the murder of Madan Tamang.

A bandh like situation is still prevailing in Darjeeling while a public bandh in Darjeeling is called tomorrow. Dead body of Late Madan Tamang will be taken to the ABGL party  office at 7 am tomorrow and after the memorial meeting it will be taken to his ancestral home at Meghma and on Tuesday will be cremated there . 

GJMM has called a 12 hrs business establishment closure in Darjeeling and 4 hrs closure(12 noon to 4pm) in Kalimpong and other areas. Bimal Gurung is in Kalimpong and confirmed the announcement.

Citizens' right forum will bring a peace rally in Kalimpong tomorrow, GJMM has also announced of similar rally at the same time in Kalimpong.

GJMM and GJVM has refuted the allegation of its members involvement in the murder.

CPRM has said that with violence the Gorkhaland agitation will not proceed smoothly. GJMM should leave the path of violence, Mohan Podyal CPRM Secretary said addressing a Press meet in Kalimpong.

Locals stage a candlelight rally on Saturday from Darjeeling Mall to the site where Madan Tamang was killed

Subrata Nagchoudhury, Darjeeling, IE:The writ of Bimal Gurung and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) did not run in Darjeeling today after the All India Gorkha League (AIGL) president, Madan Tamang, was hacked to death in full public glare yesterday. The GJM, known for its politics of bandh in the hills, tried to “enforce normalcy” by asking people to keep shops and establishments open on Saturday. But there was total defiance, as people imposed a near total shutdown in the hills for the second day today.

If the public mood in the hills was any indication, the writing in the wall is more than clear. The killing of Tamang, one of the oldest votaries of a separate state for Gorkhas, has not gone well with the people of the hills. A handful of vehicles plied between Darjeeling and Siliguri ferrying tourists. Amidst rousing public anger, virtually the entire GJM leadership has left Darjeeling and is camping in Kalimpong. 

Since early in the morning, thousands of people marched to Tamang’s house. Many wept inconsolably. The beautiful landscaped house was swamped by mourners even as Tamang’s body was kept in his house and Buddhist monks chanted prayers. By evening there was yet another round of outpouring of sympathy as a candlelight peace procession was taken out in Darjeeling town. Residents said that Darjeeling witnessed such a “non-political, citizen’s protest and peace march” after 1980. Schoolchildren, college students, tourists joined the residents in the march that ended at the spot on Upper Club Side Road, where Tamang was hacked to death yesterday.

Meanwhile, Lachman Pradhan, general secretary of the AIGL, lodged an FIR, naming six top leaders of the GJM for the murder of Tamang. Talking to The Sunday Express, the AIGL secretary said: “Democracy in Darjeeling has been murdered with the killing of Tamang. Normalcy will never return to the hills till we restore the fundamental rights of the people and the freedom to practice any political faith. That will be our tribute to the departed leader.” Not a single person named in the FIR has been arrested so far, complained Pradhan, accusing the West Bengal government of creating this situation of total lawlessness.

The AIGL leaders, as well as other political circles, ruled out the killing of Tamang as a mere spur-of-the-moment incident. Senior AIGL leaders pointed out that if it was so, how would one explain the simultaneous attacks on Tamang’s house, on a hotel run by Tamang’s relative and on the house of Dawa Sherpa — a BJP leader who had joined the Democratic Front led by Tamang and R B Rai.

“This is the true face of the present GJM leadership who had been pledging by a democratic, Gandhian principle to achieve their goals but in reality indulged in the politics of bloodshed and suppression,” said an AIGL leader.

“After yesterday’s murder, people of Darjeeling would press for peace and democracy first and statehood later,” said R B Rai, a leader of the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists.

Leaders of many other political outfits, from the Trinamool Congress to the CPM, BJP and Darjeeling-Sikkim Unification Manch, assembled at Tamang’s house today and renewed their plans to re-launch an agitation for restoring the rule of law. There was but one common enemy — the West Bengal Government, for not doing enough to tone up the hill administration and succumbing to the politics of suppression now in vogue in the hills.

“Otherwise, how could one explain why despite early warnings from the intelligence and from the AIGL, the police did not take adequate steps to protect Tamang during the public rally?” asked many.

The IG, North Bengal, K L Tamta, admitted that six senior GJM leaders have been named in the FIR lodged by the secretary of AIGL. The police have detained about 45 people so far.

Senior GJM leader Benoy Tamang said the FIR lodged by the AIGL naming top party leaders was an indication that there was a “pre-planned conspiracy” to defame the GJM leaders.

Peace and Candle lit rally and meeting organised by the Citizens of Darjeeling 

Photo: Himalaya Darpan and Indian Express 

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, May 22: Madan Tamang’s murder was a well-planned operation in which three places were attacked simultaneously, police said today.

Suspected Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters had allegedly launched simultaneous raids on the Clubside motor stand, where Tamang was hacked, his house on Gandhi Road, and the home of the convener of the front that has opposed the  Morcha’s writ in the hills.

It was not a “spontaneous” expression of people’s rage as Morcha leader Bimal Gurung had claimed, the police said. “It was a well-thought-out plan by the Morcha to assassinate Tamang and terrorise its rivals,” said a senior police officer.

North Bengal IG K.L. Tamta had yesterday charged the Morcha with attacking Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) leader Tamang.

Today, Tamta said “even in my wildest dreams” he had not expected Tamang to be killed in broad daylight. “In the past, the Morcha had disrupted political meetings by getting its women’s wing activists to occupy the rivals’ dais…. But this was totally unexpected.”

Last night, ABGL general secretary Laxman Pradhan lodged an FIR accusing Gurung, his wife Asha and Morcha central committee members Roshan Giri, Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Pradip Pradhan, Ramesh Allay and Binay Tamang of criminal conspiracy. He put the murder charge on six Morcha youth leaders.

Putting together the versions of various eyewitnesses, the police said at least two, if not three, groups were involved in yesterday’s attack. While Tamang was being hacked, another group went to the home-cum-hotel of Dawa Sherpa, the BJP state secretary who is also the convener of the Democratic Front, and broke windowpanes and smashed a car.

Around the same time, people armed with khukuris and rods descended on Tamang’s home on the same road, 4km from Clubside. “A group attacked our house within minutes of the attack on my father,” said Tamang’s son Sanjyog. Sherpa demanded a CBI inquiry.

The police are trying to verify the antecedents of Sangay Yolmo, 33, and Subash Tamang, 53, who were hospitalised after Madan Tamang’s personal security guard, a state police constable, opened fire. Both are under sedation.

“We will verify their role and they could even be arrested,” said Tamta. “We are conducting raids on various places but some of the attackers may have crossed over to Sikkim.”

Gurung, who had yesterday alleged that the state government and the ABGL had plotted to kill Tamang to defame the Morcha, today added the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) and Sherpa to his list.

The hills shut down today, though no bandh had been called. Residents marched with candles praying for peace.
GJM Chief named in FIR
TOI, DARJEELING: Faced with widespread criticism for their alleged inaction, police on Saturday registered cases against Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung, his wife and 11 senior GJM leaders for alleged involvement in Friday's murder of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League president Madan Tamang in Darjeeling.
The police swung into action on the basis of an FIR lodged by ABGL general secretary Laxman Pradhan against GJM top brass a few hours after Tamang's assassination. In the FIR he had named Gurung, his wife, Asha, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, GJM central committee members Harka Bahadur Chhetri, Pradeep Pradhan and Benoy Tamang, and Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP) chief Col (Rtd) Ramesh Allay as "conspirators." GLP is GJM's police wing.
In the FIR, Pradhan also named GJM's sub-divisional leaders, Dinesh Gurung, Puran Thami and Tenzing Khambachay, Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha chief Alok Kant Thulung and Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha leaders, Kismat Chhetri and Keshavraj Pokhrel as the ones who carried out the murder.
"We've registered cases under Sections 120B and 302 of IPC against the persons named in the FIR. So far, we've detained 45 people in connection with the murder," North Bengal IGP Kundan Lal Tamta said. 

Mangalore Aircrash had one crew member from Kalimpong
KalimNews: Yugantar Rana (25) son of Late C.B.Rana Ex Head-Master of Kumudini Homes and an Ex Student of Dr. Grahams Homes was killed in the Air India plane crash today. Rana was a crew member of Air India. The Air India Express flight from Dubai with 173 on board crashed before landing at Kenjar, near the newly built runway this morning and caught fire.

Ninety charred bodies have been recovered from the mangled remains of the crashed Air India aircraft IX-892 operated by a Boeing 737-800.

"So far 90 bodies have been extricated.There are still bodies inside the aircraft.Rescue teams are continuing efforts to remove them," Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said.
The total number of casualties was yet to be determined, he said. "We will know the exact figure only after removing all the bodies from the aircraft", he said.
Singh said the DGCA investigating teams were yet to arrive.
The Air India Express plane had 166 persons four infants and six crew members.

KalimNews: GJMM has refuted the allegation of having hands in the murder of Madan Tamang, the slain ABGL President. Bimal Gurung GJMM President blamed  CPRM and Bengal government of having hand in the murder and stated that it is a conspiracy to defame GJMM and its agitational programme. Gurung said that ABGL had hired Maoists from Nepal and they were armed in the dais. They attacked GJMM supporters and during the altercation Tamang was killed by the maoists as they couldnot identify him as their leader, said Gurung. He asked that how could KL Tamta the IG and Ashoke Bhattacharya could give statement  blaming GJMM as the attacker within an hour of the incident without having any enquiry.

GJMM had categorically denied of having any connection in the yesterday's incident stating that it is baseless allegation and it is a drama to stop our political activities and talks. Further they said that the police body guard fired two rounds but altogether 60 rounds were fired and the rest 58 rounds were fired by ABGL members. And if any one of the injured dies within their treatment period then the government should tackle the situation and GJMM will not be responsible for any untoward incident.

Bimal Gurung and Binoy Tamang addressed the media in a press conference in Kalimpong today.

GJMM also has warned the police that if any of the leaders are arrested then there will be mass court arrest.

He further announced that all Offices will remain open from 24th till 2nd June.

Our Darjeeling correspondent adds: There was a Bandh like situation in Darjeeling today as all the shops were shut and only a few vehicles moved. The situation seemed tense and there was fear in everybody's  eyes. 

In the FIR made for the murder of the slain leader, the list includes names of Bimal Gurung, Roshan Giri, Dinesh Gurung, GJYM leader and others. According to the police source 13 GJMM supporters are arrested  and 45 are detained , these include some leaders of GJYM. GJVM and GJMM Town Committee. Police is looking for a GJYM leader. The funeral of Tamang will be held on 24th in Meghma .

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh organised a candle lit meet today at CNI Headquarters in New Delhi in order to mark the assassination of All India Gorkha League President Madan Tamang.   

Kalimpong Krishak Kalyan Sangathan held a condolence meeting in its Office in Kalimpong in memory of the murdered leader Madan Tamang.

Siliguri, May 22 (PTI) Forty-five people have been arrested in connection with the killing

of All India Gorkha League President Madan Tamang even as a search is on to trace a Gorkha Janamukti Morcha youth leader, who is the alleged mastermind of the murder, police said today  

“Dinesh Gurung, President of GJM yuba morcha town committee is the key planner of the killing of Tamang in Darjeeling yesterday,” Inspector General of Police (north bengal), K L Tamta said. 

Police is trying to trace Gurung and a few of his associates, he said. 

Besides, police patrolling had been intensified to restore confidence among the hill people, Tamta said. 

Tamang was yesterday stabbed to death by unidentified men during clashes by rival Gorkha groups in the hill town of Darjeeling.