Strike halted in India tea region

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Darjeeling tea is famous around the world for its flavour

A strike called by a regional political party which paralysed life in India's tea-producing Darjeeling area has been postponed, officials say.

They say the strike - called by the regional Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) political party - has been halted for 60 hours to allow tourists to leave.

They say that the delay will also help shopkeepers to stock up on essentials.

The GJM is demanding a separate state and fairer treatment for Darjeeling's Nepali-speaking Gorkha community.

It has warned that the strike will resume indefinitely from Saturday.

The GJM has also asked employees from the West Bengal state government to leave Darjeeling. On Tuesday, they asked all tourists to quit the area.

Officials say that at least 15 people were wounded when Gorkhas and Bengali and Hindi-speakers clashed on Tuesday.

At the beginning of the week the GJM alleged that its supporters were attacked by activists of the state's ruling Marxists on Sunday.

The communists have denied the charge.

Darjeeling is in the north of the eastern state of West Bengal.

The region is home to hundreds of tea gardens and produces Darjeeling tea which is coveted for its flavour.

The Gorkhas fought for a separate state through the 1980s but they later settled for regional autonomy.

The recently-formed GJM has revived the struggle for a separate state.

The foothills are dominated by Bengali and Hindi speakers, while the Darjeeling hills are dominated by Nepali-speaking Gorkhas.