VZCZCXRO0516
OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHCI #0179 1681615
ZNR UUUUU
O P 161615Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL KOLKATA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000179 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM CASC ASEC IN
SUBJECT: GORKHAS CALL FOR INDEFINITE STRIKE IN WEST BENGAL'S 
DARJEELING HILLS 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On June 16 the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha's 
(GJMM) called for an indefinite "bandh" or strike in the 
Darjeeling hills in its protest for a separate Gorkhaland state 
for ethnic Nepalis.  Earlier, GJMM had called an indefinite 
strike on June 11 which was later relaxed on June 12 (reftel), 
partly due to escalating clashes with ethnic Bengalis.  Schools, 
colleges and tea gardens have been exempted from this latest 
strike.  Outside of the hill areas, where Gorkhas are not in 
majority, GJMM supporters will participate in relay hunger 
strikes to increase pressure on the state as well as the GOI to 
accede to a Gorkhaland state.  However, External Affairs 
Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already rejected the demand for a 
separate statehood.  On June 17, WB Chief Minister (CM) 
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee hopes to conduct an all party meeting on 
this issue but none of the three hill-based state legislators or 
representatives from the major opposition party Trinamul 
Congress are expected to attend.  Post's American Citizens 
Services section confirmed with local law enforcement and 
popular hotels and guest houses in the region that AmCit 
tourists had safely left the area.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) On June 16, GJMM called for another indefinite strike in 
the Darjeeling hills.  However, schools and colleges have been 
exempted from the shutdown.  Darjeeling's all important tea 
gardens, which employ the largest workforce in the hills, will 
also be unaffected.  The GJMM has also pulled back from trying 
to enforce the bandh in neighboring lowland areas, outside of 
the Gorkha-dominated hills, as violence has erupted  the last 
few days with the ethnic Bengalis.  The GJMM leadership has 
asked its supporters not to enforce the shutdown in plain areas 
which are majority Bengali and instead will rely on successive 
hunger strikes to press for the statehood demand. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On June 14, the GOI expressed its willingness for a 
dialogue with the GJMM. However, India's External Affairs 
Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who held a brief meeting with CM 
Bhattacharya, informed media that "There is no question of 
creating a separate state of Gorkhaland."  In response to 
Mukherjee's statement, GJMM General Secretary Roshan Giri in 
Darjeeling told the press that the GJMM is ready for talks with 
the GOI but added that the government should not think that 
"Gorkhaland" is a separatist demand.  Giri said that "We will go 
to Delhi to meet Central (federal) government leaders and tell 
them of our grievances."  Local reporters told Post, however, 
that the GJMM leadership does not trust the federal ministers 
from West Bengal - External Affair Minister Pranab Mukherjee and 
Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi. 
The GJMM wants these ministers to be excluded from any talks 
with the GOI.  Previously on June 13, the GJMM president Bimal 
Gurung had rejected the GOWB's offer for talks.  WB's main 
opposition party Trinamul Congress, led by Mamta Banerjee, has 
already rejected CM Bhattacharjee's call to attend the proposed 
June 17 all-party meeting on this issue. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On June 13 news reports indicated that buses carrying 
tourists from Darjeeling were attacked and pelted with stones by 
demonstrators.  No AmCit tourists were targetted by the 
demonstrators.  Also no AmCit was reported injured in the 
agitations.  Post's American Citizens Services (ACS) section 
confirmed with local law enforcement as well as popular hotels 
and resorts in the area that AmCit tourists had safely departed 
the region.  (Note:  Hotels are required to report to police 
when foreign guests check in/out of their establishments.  End 
Note.)  According to local law enforcement, the last registered 
AmCit tourist departed the region on June 12.  Twenty three 
AmCits living in the region have registered with the Consulate. 
All received the Warden Message distributed last week (reftel). 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment:  While GJMM will not push its bandh into the 
majority Bengali areas near the Darjeeling hills, having faced 
strong Bengali opposition last week, additional violence and 
agitations can be expected given lack of effective dialogue 
between the GJMM and the GOWB. 
 
JARDINE