NH 31A, the only link of Sikkim with the rest of the country is facing a threat of blockade by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), as a spillover of the Darjeeling statehood agitation. Chief Secretary of Sikkim, N.D.Chingapa sent urgent messages to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal and Cabinet Secretary of Central Government to ensure that the life line to the state, NH 31A is kept open through out the GJM agitations. This followed an earlier request by the Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling made to the Prime Minister on the same issue.
Chingapa said that the Sikkim government has instructed its officials to keep in touch with their counterparts in Darjeeling and Siliguri and also hinted that if the situation becomes unmanageable, Sikkim would have to seek army deployment to clear the blockade threatened by the GJM.
A senior Government official said, “As a part of emergency measures, the state’s food and civil supplies department has been geared up to ration Petrol and LPG and also stock up food-grains and already reasonable quantity has been stocked during the relaxation period allowed by GJM. But that of course can not last for ever. Let us hope that the Bandh does not stretch long enough to out last our stocks.”
GJM leaders has made it clear earlier that as the NH 31A passes through the Hill Council areas, they would block it as a part of the agitations and use this ‘Sikkim Factor’ to push the Centre into calling them for talks. Bimal Gurung has told a rally in Kalimpong subdivision that the High Way (NH 31A) would indeed be blocked until Sikkim spoke up (in favour).