Mukesh Sharma

Kalimpong, March 11:

After 2 ½ years the Para-military forces have been deployed in the hills. Under the same 80 jawans of BRAVO 50 Company of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion have been deployed at Regulated Market, 11 Mile, today. The battalion reached Kalimpong today early morning at around 5 from Lalgarh, Midnapore, West Bengal.

Later in the evening, 20 CRPF jawans along with their officers reached Kalimpong Thana, after which the Kalimpong Police officials along with them carried out a Route March amid a populated Kalimpong main market.

The setting up of these forces now seems to contradict ‘The hills are smiling’ statement of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, said the people of Kalimpong, who were tensed to see the forces in their home town. The people are also disgruntled with the fact that the forces are being deployed in the hills at the time when the board examinations are being conducted, as they believe that it will create fear in the minds of the students.

Apart from the CRPF, the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) have already been deployed. The state government and the Police administration are saying that the forces had to be deployed in order to put a halt to the increasing crime rates in the hills.

However, on the other hand, the Kalimpong MLA, Dr Harka Bahadur Chettri displeased with the coming of the forces said that the CRPF are in the hills for their summer holidays on the government expenses. Dr Chettri has appealed the public not to panic over the same.

The locals are now complaining that deployment of IRB and RAF was justifiable up to some extent, but the involvement of the CRPF was unnecessary as no such insurgent situation has been reported.

“The hills are far more peaceful as compared to Lalgarh, which is regarded as one of the areas most affected by the Maoists”, said a local.

The Darjeeling Police SP, Kunal Agarwal few days ago had informed that the decision in deploying the Para-military forces is taken by the Union Home Ministry, but on the other hand the state government is being blamed for the same.