New Delhi:
Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) members have hired Maoist cadres to train its members with guerilla-warfare prior launching underground arm-struggle in Darjeeling and the north hill region of West Bengal, said West Bengal police.
The officer added that GJM is in contact with Maoist leaders from neighbouring states and has hired few of their cadres to train its members to launch an underground armed movement to press in their demands of separate Gorkhaland, said a senior West Bengal government official.
“Intelligence agencies have alerted us that GJM has hired Maoist cadres from a neighbouring country which may target government properties, security forces and government officials deployed in the area to further aggravate the situation," said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) West Bengal Anuj Sharma.
However, senior GJM leaders have refuted hiring of Maoist cadres and launching of an armed underground agitation against the government.
“The reports our completely baseless. Our agitations have been peaceful and always will be. The government and opposition parties on different notes have tried to malign our agitation by creating chaos,” said GJM general secretary Roshan Giri.
A senior police officer who is not authorised to talk to the media said, “The GJM ranks have hired around 30 Maoist armed experts to train its members. GJM has managed to gather a huge cache of arms and ammunition in the last few years.”
“We have intelligence inputs that GJM is soon going to launch underground armed-struggle in the hills,” added the police official.
The officer added that the GJM leaders have christened its members receiving guerrilla-war and armed training from Maoist cadres as Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP).
A senior administrative official said that the government is "prepared for any situation and steps all required steps are being taken to tackle any sort of armed struggle".
Sources in West Bengal government said that state government on receiving the intelligence input has made several strategic moves to thwart any untoward incident and curb the launching of underground armed struggle movement of the GJM.
The state government has deployed several senior IPS officers along with several mid and low ranking officers having wide experience in anti-insurgency operations and who have been part of various Maoist operations in the state.
Senior IPS officer Manoj Verma, who has vast experience in countering Maoists insurgency in West Midnapore district from 2009-2011 and later in counter insurgency force, has been posted as IG Darjeeling.
