14-Dec-2008

To
Justice S.Rajendra Babu ,      
Hon’ble Chairman,
National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi

Sub: Memorandum regarding the protection of life and property of Ethnic Gorkhas in West Bengal.

Hon’ble Sir,
On behalf of all the ethnic Gorkha people inhabiting the state of West of Bengal, we would like to put forward the following points for favour of your immediate necesary action.
 That the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) have been spearheading a democratic movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland within the frame work of Indian Constitution. Since Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle against the British Empire, it the only the movement of its kind which is based entirely on the Gandhian principle of non-violence.  
 That presently, we are organizing a non-cooperation movement against the Govt. of West Bengal as part of our democratic agitation. That on International Human Rights Day i.e., 10thth December, 2008 a group of our party workers brought out a peaceful procession to the BDO office at Hamiltongunj, Kalchini in the Dooars region of contiguous Jalpaiguri District. Our party procession which also involved quite a number of women cadres were mercilessly attacked by the combined force of CPI (M) Cadres, RSP cadres and the Jan Jagran Manch members in a preplanned manner. It all started by a fusillade of missiles from the house of Mr. Joachim Bakhla, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Alipurduar Constituency, at whose place a strong group of hired anti-social elements along with the said party cadres had thronged right from the morning and unleashed a violent attack on our unarmed people. This heinous attack continued for many hours and  in the process, the attackers injured more that 47 GJM members mostly women, destroyed several houses of our people, and set fire on more than a dozen  two  wheelers.  The attacked
people were completely unarmed and there was no provocation whatsoever for the attack. Our party leaders of Kalchini Block had met the B.D.O. (Kalchini Block), S.D.O. (Alipurduar) and police officials. The said officials had asked our leaders to disperse the procession as they said the matter will be forwarded to their higher level. Our leaders and the supporters at the rally had obliged and obeyed the same and dispersed the rally  but in the meantime, the police deliberately lathi charged  mercilessly beat and injured the women and children and arrested more than 12 of our innocent supporters instead of chasing and taking action against those R.S.P., C.P.I (M) and Jan Jagaran Manch cadres. We feel that this is hand in glove with the politicized police administration headed by Shri. K.L.Tamta, I.G. North Bengal Range.
 Moreover, in a pre-meditative manner, our people were also attacked at Latabari Gram Panchayet area and the attackers continued their atrocities even upon the women and children. In one of the blackest day of injustice in West Bengal, our women were molested and the traditional dress worn by them were forcibly torn by these state agents. All the while, the police force remained a mute spectator and they only encouraged the anti social elements to perpetrate these inhuman acts. Furthermore, the state police beat up our supporters lathi charged them and arrested the very victims. Naturally, it is a clear case of state sponsored terrorism. The police department has leveled different charges against our innocent supporters who were hospitalized and after they were discharged from the hospital they were taken into police custody. This act of the West Bengal police clearly shows that the victims do not get the chance to lodge the complaints against the police.
 That, on the 11th of December, 2008, our people were attacked and their houses were ransacked at Debidhanga, Siliguri Sub-division of Darjeeling District by the CPI (M) cadres mostly Bangladeshi refugees of Kalkot Mauza Refugee Rehabilation Colony, Siliguri.
This apart it may also be mentioned that at Bandapani[Birpara-Dooars] on 13.12.2008  our student leader Dhanraj Thapa was severely assaulted by the supporters  of R.S.P. and is in a critical condition undergoing treatment at Siliguri.The said incident took place not only due to inaction by the police personnel but also with discreet support by the police authorities.
 That, over the past few months the Gorkhas inhabiting the Dooars and Siliguri region of West Bengal have repeatedly been subjected to jingoistic Bengali atrocities and human rights violations by the ruling Govt. of West Bengal and our hapless people have repeatedly been the victims of State sponsored terrorism. On 9th April, 2008, the state police force along with CPI (M) cadres attacked a peaceful procession of the retired Gorkha soldiers, on 2nd May, 2008 the cadres of the ruling party attacked our youth and the women members in Siliguri and now this attack vindicates our case for a separate state of Gorkhaland.
 We are consistently struggling for a separate state of Gorkhaland in a civilized and democratic manner. In order to divert attention from our main demand, the ruling left front Government is trying to give communal colors to our movement and trying its best to create a rift between Gorkhas and other communities of North Bengal. The attackers of our people were left front cadres and the members of Jan Jagran

Manch, both of which in this part of the country are mainly populated by illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Such xenophobia and atrocity perpetrated by these people are detrimental to the National interest and security and will obviously weaken the social fabric of the country.
Therefore, we request your good office to kindly make a on the spot visit to the affected area and do the needful so that our problem is permanently solved and such unfortunate incidents do not repeat again. We hope that your good office would do your utmost to protect the life and property of our people in the interest of national integrity.

With regards,

Yours faithfully,
Bimal Gurung
General Secretary
President