The Calcutta High Court today directed the West Bengal government to ensure normalcy in the Darjeeling Hills, where general life has been crippled by an indefinite bandh called by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland.
Taking up a PIL seeking direction to the state to ensure normalcy in the Hills, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi directed the Darjeeling superintendent of police to ensure normalcy in public life in the hills, where the bandh entered the fifth day. The bench observed that there should not be any disruption in emergency services like water and power supply, medicare and telecom. The bench directed the administration to implement the directives it had passed on February 14 on a petition against a two-day Bengal bandh that had been called by some Leftist trade unions.
Referring to a 1997 Supreme Court ruling, the division bench had on February 14 observed that bandhs and strikes were illegal. The bench had said that bandh-callers would be held liable for damage of any property on strike days and would have to compensate for it.
The court had also directed the state government to take all necessary measures so that willing people could join work or move freely on strike days.
Passing its order today on the PIL by petitioner in-person Ramaprasad Sarkar who had prayed for the indefinite bandh in Darjeeling be declared illegal and unconstitutional, the division bench directed the state government to communicate the order to the GJM.
