Morcha supporters in Kalimpong greet a resident of the town with flowers, ‘requesting’ him to wear traditional Gorkha dresses as part of the ‘cultural movement’ for Gorkhaland that started in the hills on October 7. (C.F. Lepcha)

Siliguri, Oct. 16: Senior administrative officials have hinted that they may have to shut down the offices in the Darjeeling hills if they are forced to carry “Government of Gorkhaland” on signboards from tomorrow.

District magistrate Surendra Gupta said the administration would not under any circumstances apply force to curb the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s drive to wipe out “West Bengal” from the signboards and write “Gorkhaland” instead.

“We would, under instructions from the state government, try to deter them through persuasion,” said Gupta. “If they insist on going ahead, we would not resort to force to stop them.”

The Morcha said teams have been already formed for the drive. “The volunteers will visit every office and ask the employees concerned to make the necessary change,” said Binay Tamang, the media and publicity secretary of the party today. “If they do it on their own, it is fine. Otherwise, our volunteers will delete ‘West Bengal’ and write ‘Gorkhaland’ in its place.”

The district magistrate refused to say what the administration would do in case of forcible deletion. “It is wise not to comment …but wait till tomorrow.”

Officials of different department said they had not received any instruction from their superiors. “We can at the most file a general diary.”

A senior official in Darjeeling said there would be no other option, but to close down the offices. “How will it look? A sign board reading ‘Government of Gorkhaland’ in front of the district magistrate’s office?”

An officer of the health department said there was no question of entering into an altercation. “There would be no police arrangement. How can we afford a risk?”

According to police, those who change the signboards could be charged under Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 as well as the West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1976.

“Changing government signboards can also invite Section 121 of the IPC which stands for waging or abetting war against the state,” a police officer said.

In Kalimpong, the violators of the Morcha dress code were today greeted with flowers, unlike in Darjeeling where local enforcers in two separate incidents had painted the faces of some youths and a girl in black after they were seen in jeans and T-shirts and salwar kameez respectively.

Norden Lama, the chairman of the Kalimpong Municipality, said the flower-giving programme was aimed at removing the perception that the dress code was being forcibly imposed.

Rakesh Thapa, one of those who received the flowers, said: “While giving the flower, the lady politely requested me to wear daura sural for Gorkhaland. I only managed to nod my head.”

Asked if he was going to wear one tomorrow, Thapa smiled.