June 12, 2008
KOLKATA - AS TOURISTS rushed out of Darjeeling, about 500km north of Kolkata, the Times of India reported the first attack on tourists by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) separatist group.
The GJM supporters, demanding that a separate state be carved out of West Bengal for Nepali-speakers, stopped a bus of tourists leaving Darjeeling at Kalijhora and threw stones at them, the newspaper reported
The attack came within 24 hours of GJM's demand that visitors must get out of Darjeeling, after enforcing an indefinite closure of towns in a general strike.
Clashes also broke out in the regions bordering Bhutan as those opposed to the sudden shutdown of towns took on GJM supporters.
Caught in the turmoil, thousands of tourists are rushing to leave on whatever vehicle they can find.
Hundreds more are still stranded in Darjeeling and Sikkim. The state government arranged for a special train and 15 buses to ferry the stranded to Kolkata.
