No consensus on Gorkhaland, talks to continue (Roundup)

DARJEELING - There was no consensus on a Gorkhaland state but discussions to solve the problem would continue, union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said here after a three-hour tripartite meeting, marked by sharp differences, with the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha Monday.

“We had detailed discussions with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha and state government representatives regarding the formation of a separate Gorkhaland state and various other issues. We’ll continue to hold discussions on this to find a solution to the Gorkhaland problem,” Pillai said at a press conference here after the parleys.

He said GJM representatives wanted the next round of discussions to be held at the political level solely on Gorkhaland.

“Both the centre and the state government representatives will place their request to the respective governments and will come back to the GJM within 45 days. There is no such agreement at all for a separate Gorkhaland state.”

The meeting, which began at 11 a.m., was attended by a central government team led by Pillai and a six-member state government side headed by Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty.

The GJM fielded a 16-member delegation, led by the party’s general secretary Roshan Giri, for the talks held at the private Mayfair resort in the heart of this hill town.

Lt. Gen (retd.) Vijay Madan, the central government-appointed interlocutor, was also present during the meeting.

The GJM general secretary termed the meeting as “positive” and said it would relax the indefinite hunger strike in the hills till Christmas. He said the strike would again resume from Dec 26 and continue till Dec 31 on the National Highway (NH)-31.

“We will continue our movement democratically to achieve a separate Gorkhaland state curved out of the region. We’ll carry out peaceful agitation till our demand is met,” Giri said.

“Gorkhaland is a century-old demand and the problem will not be resolved till it is addressed,” Giri said, reiterating the demand for a separate state.

Giri said “only the Gorkhaland issue was deliberated upon in the meeting”, but the state government contested this.

“There was no such discussion on forming a new state. And though the GJM wanted this, there was no decision on the next set of discussions being held at the political level on forming Gorkhaland,” Chakraborty said.

The central government had in 2005 conferred the Sixth Schedule status on the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), ensuring greater autonomy to the governing body.

The GJM has been spearheading a movement for a Gorkhaland state carved out of northern West Bengal, and has been opposing special status for the hill’s governing body DGHC.

The Amra Bangali, Bangla Bhasha O Bhasha Banchao Committee, a local outfit protesting the GJM’s demand for a separate state, also started a relay hunger strike in Siliguri plains from Sunday, saying that they oppose the “unconstitutional” dialogue with some “aliens” from Nepal.

“Altogether 45 people were arrested as people opposing the Gorkhaland demand were observing a shutdown in the plains of Darjeeling to protest the tripartite talks. No major incident was reported during the agitations staged by anti-Gorkhaland outfit members,” Inspector General of Police (North Bengal) K.L Tamta told IANS by phone.

He said that a group of people also pelted stones at a State Roadways bus in Jalpaiguri district.

“Three people were arrested in connection with the case. No one was injured,” Tamta said.