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Calcutta: Tens of thousands of tourists were stranded in the tea-growing region of eastern India on Tuesday after a Gurkha separatist group called a strike to press its demand for an independent state, shutting down hotels, shops and roads.
The Gurkha Janamukti Morcha wants a state for ethnic Gurkhas in the hill areas around Darjeeling in West Bengal state.
All shops and businesses were closed in Darjeeling and nearby towns, an area famous for its tea and cool climate, a strong draw in India's scorching summer.
Roughly 40,000 tourists were rushing to leave the area after the Gurkha group asked them to go home as soon as possible, a senior state police official said.
The newly formed separatist group's general secretary, Roshan Giri, said it would help with travel arrangements, but prospects appeared difficult with all public transport staying off the roads.
There was no reported violence, the police official added.
Giri said the strike would continue until the government "accepts our demand for a separate state."
The state government dismissed the group's wishes.
"A separate state is out of the question," said state minister Asok Bhattcharya. "They need to settle down and agree to discuss and negotiate."
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