The GJM announced an indefinite strike encompassing Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and the Dooars protesting against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to make Bengali language compulsory in state-run schools.
The strike was called even after the Chief Minister assured that the new rule would not be imposed in the hill districts.
The protestors are also asking for a separate Gorkhaland, a long pending demand of the people of the hills.
Later, Gurung claimed that the West Bengal Police are illegally entering their supporters' houses and torturing them and also accused them of killing two of his supporters.
He said that GJM would further strengthen their agitation.
Mamata Banerjee tore into the GJM supporters and said that they aren't listening to the court, even after it had passed an order citing the bandh was "illegal."
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in West Bengal's Darjeeling by sending more troops to help restore normalcy as the state government has not yet submitted its report on the situation.
Stir under GJM:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the 2009 general elections, again announced its policy of having smaller states. They said to create two more states- Telangana and Gorkhaland-if they won the general election.
GJM backed the candidature of Jaswant Singh of BJP and hence he won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat (with 51.5% votes in his favour).
With the assassination of Madan Tamang, leader of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League, the demand for Gorkhaland took a new turn. On 21 May 2010, in Darjeeling, he was stabbed to death allegedly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters.
Three GJM activists, on 8 February 2011, were shot dead (one of whom succumbed to her injuries later) by the cops. They tried to enter Jalpaiguri district on a padyatra led by Bimal Gurung from Gorubathan to Jaigaon. The incident led to violence in the Darjeeling hills. An indefinite strike was called by GJM. It lasted 9 days.
Held on 18 April 2011, in the West Bengal state assembly election, GJM candidates won three Darjeeling hill assembly seats. This showed that the demand for Gorkhaland was still strong in Darjeeling.