Darjeeling, Aug. 30: The All Gorkha Students? Union (Agsu) today decided to exclude the Darjeeling tea gardens from the purview of its proposed 12-hour strike tomorrow.

However, the rest of the Hills are expected to come to a standstill, as the apolitical students? union has made elaborate arrangements to ensure the success of its strike.

The bandh has been called to condemn the recent ?derogatory? remarks allegedly made against the Gorkha community by an organisation, Amra Bangali, in Siliguri.

Roshan Giri, the president of Agsu, said: ?We have decided not to bring the tea gardens within the purview of the strike as this would mean that the workers would have to forfeit a day?s earning. However, we are determined to ensure that the strike is successful in the Hills. Picketers, owing allegiance to our organisation, will be out on the streets tomorrow.?

The bandh is also expected to completely cut off Sikkim, as National Highway 31 A, connecting Bengal to the Himalayan kingdom, passes through Darjeeling district.

Agsu has put up posters in the three Hill subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, urging people to support the strike.

The students? union has also urged residents of the Hills to refrain from using two wheelers during the day so as to make the strike more successful.

Though Agsu has come down heavily on Amra Bangalis for describing Subash Ghisingh as ?anti-national?, the GNLF has taken an ambiguous stand on the issue.

While local leaders of the GNLF issued press statements in support of the strike call yesterday, the party?s stand became unclear today after there were reports that Ghisingh was not in favour of calling a bandh at the moment.

Instead, the party maintained that it would not take any official stand on the issue and will neither support nor oppose it.

Sources maintained that Ghisingh?s party wanted the students? union to withdraw the strike, but later dropped the idea due to time constraint.