Life paralysed in Darjeeling hills, state blocks cable services

As life in Darjeeling Hills remained paralysed for the seventh day Friday following an indefinite shutdown called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) demanding Gorkhaland, the West Bengal government blocked services of leading cable operators, disrupting television coverage in the area.

Officials of the Darjeeling district administration swooped down on the offices of two cable service providers who cater to majority of the Darjeeling homes and asked them to shut shop as they failed to show valid documents. The remaining households subscribe to Direct To Home services.

The owners of the two cable service providers - Darjeeling Combined Cable Network and Milkyway Cable Vision - slammed the act as "political", saying they were only given handwritten notices on paper without any government seal.

DCCN proprietor Anupam Subba complained that when he went to the district magistrate's office along with his employees, they "were asked to come Monday after the holidays".

The GJM dubbed the action "undemocratic".

"It only goes on to show how far the Bengal government can go suppress the democratic movement of the people who are fighting to fulfill their long-time aspirations for a state of their own," said GJM assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang.

"They selected these operators as the television channels aired by them were highlighting the people's protests. The state government only wants tokeep the people in the dark about the historic movement," he said.

The district administration, however, called it a "routine drive".

"The cable operators have been asked to produce some documents. Once they do so the services would be resumed," said Darjeeling District Magistrate Soumitra Mohan, who pointed out that cable services in Kurseong and Kalimponmg towns have not been hit.

The Darjeeling hills have been on the boil since the past week following the GJM's indefinite shutdown to press for a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out of parts of Darjeeling and its neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.

The move came after the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance's endorsement of statehood to Telangana.