ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS (APDR)
18 Madan Boral Lane, Kolkata 700 012, Phone 9432276415
Email : apdr.wb@gmail.com
Website : apdrwb.in
Press Release 22/07/2017
'A Single Spark Can Start a
Prairie Fire'-- This is what was concluded by the delegation team of APDR after visiting the turmoiled
regions in the hills.
On 21 &
22 July 2017, the central investigation team of APDR got divided into two
groups and visited different places in Darjeeling Hills. In each and every
place like Kurseong, Sonada, Darjeeling, Bijanbari, Kalimpong, we got several
instances of human rights violations. We spoke to the family members of
agitators who got killed, to the joint leadership of the parties involved in
the movement, contacted the administration and above all spoke with the general
people.
Our Experiences
1) The number of people killed in firing in
Singmari, Sonada and Mirik counts to 9. In most of the cases, the bullets had
hit on the upper part of the body, even in the face also. While doing
postmortem, videography too was not done. The state government is not admitting
that police had fired the bullets. But the witnesses are emphasising that
police only did so.
2) Food crisis is severe in hills.
People aren't getting their rations because the government is not willing to
fetch, citing the strike by the agitators as a lame excuse. Whereas, the
government didn't make any delay in sending the extra police and paramilitary
forces! We conclude that there is severe violations about the right to food of
the people of the hills.
3) The crisis of recognition of the
identity of the Gorkha people is a problem since a long time. They are also
complaining since long that they are being deprived on the line of their
separate nationality. The recent decision by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
that, in every school in the state of West Bengal, learning Bengali should be
mandatory did add fuel to the fire. Basically, we feel that, this very spark
turned into prairie fire. Apart from it, the way in which the government continuously
tried to malign the highest leadership of the movement, also made the situation
more complex.
4) We clearly feel that, some agitators also did or are doing things that
are against the norms of civilization and profound thought. APDR strongly condemns the incidents
of demolishing the heritage buildings
and libraries.
5) At the same time, APDR is also concerned about the
future of the famous tea industry of the Darjeeling hills. Since the high
quality tea estates are closed now, it was not and is still not possible now to
carry out the maintenance jobs in the tea gardens. There are apprehensions
about deterioration in the quality of darjeeling tea.
6) There are allegations about
transparency in the functioning of the GTA. But at the same time, the role of
the government too, regarding GTA, is also not proper. We demand that, white
paper should be published on behalf of the West Bengal government in this
matter.
In this overall context and after
the ground investigation, APDR demands that
:
a) There should be a judicial
enquiry regarding incidents of death in
police firing. The police, the administration and the government should stop
giving statements regarding this matter in the meantime.
b) Withdraw all the false cases
registered in the name of the agitators including the leaders of the movement.
Release all the arrested people. Withdraw the armed forces from the hills.
c) The right to food cannot be
violated in any case. The responsibility of supplying food is on the
government. The state government should immediately play their without citing
any excuse.
d) The government should stop behaving
in a revengeful manner with the government office staffs who failed to join
their duties, due to the ongoing strike. Goverment should restrain themselves
from executing punishment transfers and other means to heckle them.
e) The APDR wants to unequivocally convey
the agitators also that demolishing heritage buildings and libraries are highly
condemnable. They should look into the matter.
f) Keeping in mind the fame of
Darjeeling tea and the associated financial aspects, we request the agitators
to formulate the movemental steps by profound thinking. The real situation of
the tea garden workers should also be kept in mind.
g) Above all, APDR believes that the audacious
behaviour of the state government has a major role behind developing this
situation. The entire matter should be envisioned in a human and democratic
manner and tried to be solved with flexibility and through proper discussion
among the stakeholders. This is not a matter to exhibit and satisfy personal
ego. The role of the central government is also very important in this case.
They should leave their ill attempts to catch fish in muddy water and should
take immediate steps to resolve the matter with sympathetic attitude.
Dhiraj Sengupta
General Secretary, APDR
[This press release was issued at Siliguri, just after the visit. According
to them, now, they are preparing a detailed report, in which issues like ban on
internet services and local TV channels, disruption in medical services and
supply, and several other issues along with the matters mentioned above are
being jotted down to furnish before all concerned.]
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