KOLKATA: All-India Gorkha League president and a strong proponent of Gorkhaland, Madan Tamang, was killed after he was attacked with sharp weapons by unidentified assailants in Darjeeling on Friday morning.
Around 50 assailants allegedly owing allegiance to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), carrying kukris and swords suddenly attacked Tamang in Chowk Bazar while he was supervising arrangements of a meeting to mark the foundation of the party later in the day.
Tamang was hacked and his head was literarily detached from the body.
He was taken to the hospital of the Darjeeling Planters Club where he succumbed to his injuries.
Later, the police went to the spot and fired five rounds injuring one person.
This is for the first time a top political leader was brutally assassinated in the Darjeeling Hills since the agitation for a separate Gorkhaland started during the 1980s.
However, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri refuted the allegation about the involvement of their party supporters in the killing.Business establishments, educational institutions and offices in the Darjeeling Hills were closed and the roads wore a deserted look as tension mounted following Tamang’s murder.
Police patrolling has been intensified in Darjeeling town.Soon after the news came to Writers’ Buildings, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee hurriedly called a high-level meeting to review the situation of the Hills.
The Chief Minister instructed the police to conduct a probe and immediately arrest the culprits involved in the killing of Tamang. He also asked to give adequate protection to the political leaders working in the Hills.
Preliminary investigation suggested that Tamang was murdered as he was in favour of first restoring democracy in the Hills and then setting up of Gorkhaland, which was opposed by the GJM.
Though Subhas Ghising, Gorkha National Liberation Front leader and former Chairman of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was forced to resign in 2008 and compelled to shift to Siliguri following fierce agitation by the GJM, Madan Tamang was the only top level leader stayed in the Hills and opposed the GJM.