Massive rallies, sporadic violence in Darjeeling; Rajnath speaks to Mamata

Darjeeling: The prolonged violence in Darjeeling escalated on Sunday with massive protests in Darjeeling and sporadic incidents of violence in Kalimpong and Kurseong marked the GJM-called "black day" in the north Bengal hills. However, there were no reports of fresh clashes between the agitators and the security forces in Darjeeling. With so many incidents of violence and unrest, Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee to find a solution to prolonged unrest. Thousands of protestors took out rallies on the streets of Darjeeling amid tight security, including by army patrols, to mark the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's protest against alleged killing of its three activists in police firing and also pressing the demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland. Led by the GJM activists, protestors carried the coffins of the three activists allegedly shot dead by security personnel in Darjeeling's Singmari during clashes on Saturday. Holding aloft the tricolour, GJM youth members led the rally from Chawk Bazar, the famous lower market area on the Hill cart Road in Darjeeling, passionately shouting pro-Gorkhaland slogans. Shouts of "Police go back" and "Gorkhaland-Gorkhaland" reverberated through the picturesque hills as some Gorkha activists claimed that the protest has shifted from the political to the commoners' movement in the hills. "There are more than 15,000 people in the rally today. This is not just GJM. People of the hills have come together to demand separate Gorkhaland. Let's see how far we can go," a young woman protestor told a TV channel. The rally was preceded by a silent march of the civilians on Sunday morning, demanding peace to be restored in the hills. Sporadic violence was reported from elsewhere. GJM supporters allegedly vandalised two cars in Kurseong and torched three panchayat offices in the neighbouring Kalimpong district while a prominent library in Kalimpong town went ablaze with the administration blaming 'GJM-backed goons' for it.