Sixth round of Darjeeling tripartite July 24

SILIGURI - The sixth round of tripartite talks among the central government, the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on the Gorkhaland issue will be held July 24 in New Delhi.

Disclosing this, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) assistant general secretary Benoy Tamang said here that the the party’s leadership has received a communiqué from the central government about the talks.

“We have got a communiqué from Delhi last (Friday) evening which stated that the tripartite meeting would be held on July 24,” Tamang said.

He, however, said the GJM was yet to finalise its delegation members.

Tamang also said the party was yet to take a call on withdrawing the three-phase shutdown announced in the hills demanding the tripartite talks.

The GJM, which has been spearheading the movement for a separate Gorkhaland state out of the northern parts of West Bengal, has called for a general shutdown in the three hill sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong July 25.

It has also convened a 72-hour general shutdown in the hills from July 28-30.

The GJM has also threatened a 40-day shutdown shutdown in the hills from Aug 2-Sep 11.

The offices of the central and state governments and the hill development body Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) have remained closed since July 6 following a call for an indefinite closure of the offices given by the GJM.