Fresh violence in Darjeeling hills, car torched

Incidents of fresh violence rocked West Bengal's Darjeeling hills on Sunday as a vehicle on way to Lebong area in the district was set ablaze allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists, police said.

"A vehicle moving from Darjeeling to Lebong was vandalised and torched by pro-shutdown GJM activists on Sunday morning. One person was injured," Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi told IANS.

He said no one was so far detained in the case.

A number of shops and other business establishments opened in Darjeeling on Sunday after remaining shut for 101 days over the demand for separate Gorkhaland.

Though the GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown has not been lifted from the area, pockets of Darjeeling hills were limping back to life as schools, colleges and government offices have started to function since the last one week.

The state government has appealed to the local populace to lift the shutdown and assured necessary security to those willing to open their shops or resume business activities.

A section of hill parties spearheading the agitation, including the GJM, remain defiant over the withdrawal demand till tripartite talks between the central and state governments and other stakeholders are organised.

--IANS

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