Gorkhaland agitation suspended for 2 days after thunderstorm

The agitation will, however, continue during the day at Kalimpong

The Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling was suspended for 48 hours from today after a thunderstorm swept through the hills uprooting trees and snapping electric wires and telephone cables.

The thunderstorm last night uprooted trees at many places in Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong towns, civil defence sources said.

Two persons were injured in the thunderstorm at Lewis Jhupri, they said.

"The agitation is being suspended for two days because of the damage caused by the storm and will be resumed on August 22 or 23," said Roshan Giri, General Secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), which is spearheading the movement for a separate state.

The agitation would, however, continue during the day at Kalimpong, he said.

In a post on social networking website Facebook, GJM President Bimal Gurung said that last night's thunderstorm had caused damage in many places in the hills, with roads blocked by uprooted trees.

Echoing Giri, Gurung said the GJM was 'assessing the damage' and it would take two days for restoration of normalcy in the hills.

Stating that a rally would be organised on August 22, he claimed that 'Ghar Bitra Janta' (people inside home) agitation, which concluded yesterday, was "a huge success" and the next would be peaceful rallies, 'Janta Sadak Ma' (people on the roads) for four days.