GJM relaxes bandh for 4 days from Aug 15, not to use force

With the 72-hour deadline, set by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to withdraw the indefinite bandh in Darjeeling to demand Gorkhaland, expiring, GJM today said the shutdown would not be enforced forcibly and announced a four-day relaxation from August 15.
However, it said a 'janata curfew' would be observed from tomorrow.
"There will be no use of force to enforce the bandh in deference to the Calcutta High Court order," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told reporters here.
Giri later said at Singmari that the bandh, which entered the tenth day, would also be relaxed for another three days till August 18 besides Independence day.

"We have to see the people's suffering also," he said.
Senior GJM leader Harkabahadur Chetri had earlier announced that the bandh would be relaxed only on Independence day and that the 'janata curfew' (people on the streets) would be held for two days from tomorrow as announced earlier by party chief Bimal Gurung.

Giri said that on August 18, GJM would decide on the next course of action.
The high court had directed West Bengal government to ensure normalcy and Mmata Banerjee had on Saturday declared the bandh illegal and given GJM a 72-hour deadline to withdraw it.
Responding to Banerjee's deadline, the GJM chief had threatened to call a 'janata curfew' if she did not withdraw the timeline.

Meanwhile, the GJM chief in a Facebook post said "A resolution was taken in an all-party meeting today that there should be a 3-day relaxation from 16th-18th August. GJM discussed it in the core committee meeting and supports the decision.