Siliguri subdivisional officer Smita Pandey appeals to the crowds at Bihar More to disperse. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Bagdogra, June 8: A Gorkha Janmukti Morcha roadblock and the subsequent clashes between supporters of the hill party and residents of the area ruined a perfect market day in Bagdogra and Bihar More, a few hours before Jamai Shashthi.

“I had never seen such a thing in my life,” Amit Ghosh, a resident of Bihar More, said. “Bagdogra is a laid-back town where people of all communities live together in close contact and this is what we have always taken pride in. It is unfortunate that we are fighting among ourselves.”

Sunday is the weekly haat day in Bagdogra, but the turnout in the markets had been low from the morning as most people anticipated trouble because of the roadblock by the Morcha. The few stalls that had opened at the haat wound up by midday.

Kamakhya Ghosh, a local trader said, he was expecting brisk business before Jamai Shashthi. “But all hopes of good business were dashed because of the roadblock and the clashes,” he added.

The final straw for shopkeepers was the stone-throwing between the agitators and police. Within minutes, all the shutters went down.

Although the Morcha supporters did not obstruct police and army vehicles and ambulances, a large number of airport-bound cars were stuck in the two-hour roadblock. Thankfully, there were no reports of someone missing a flight.

Madanlal Agarwal was on his way to the airport to catch a flight to Mumbai where his ailing wife Hansa Devi Agarwal is to be treated. “We don’t know what to do. It is chaos all around,” said Agarwal, while his car waited near Bihar More.

“It is a question of my wife’s life,” he pleaded.

Much to the relief of Agarwal, the roadblock was lifted at 1.40pm.

In Siliguri, Bengal hill affairs minister Asok Bhattacharya said the Morcha was “100 per cent responsible” for today’s clashes and that the endless rallies, hunger strikes and protests by the hill party “were testing the patience of residents, be it at Bagdogra or Naxalbari”.

“The Morcha leaders are continuously using various tactics to create pressure on the government. We strongly condemn such moves when talks are possible. In the name of democracy, they are creating tension everywhere. We urge them to lift the hunger strikes and work for the development of the hills,” Bhattacharya said.

Morcha supporters are on strike at various locations in the plains of north Bengal demanding permission to hold a public meeting in Naxalbari.

Referring to today’s incidents at Bihar More, the minister said the apolitical Jana Chetana, which clashed with the Morcha, represented the residents of the area. “The organisation is in no way connected to the CPM or any political party. A similar group has come up in Naxalbari because people are getting fed up with the string of Morcha agitation.”

Bhattacharya added that home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti, who was here today, would “submit a report to the chief minister on his return to Calcutta tomorrow”.