GJM braces up for long haul

Following the Telangana trail, the demand for Gorkhaland by the Darjeeling Hill people has bumped on to the wall of political resistance. Both the ruling Left Front and the opposition TMC are equivocally opposed to the idea of "further fragmentation of the state of West Bengal". So, after holding day-long discussion today with the representatives of the Centre and state government, the protagonist Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders came to realise that they would have to hold the talk at the political level.

Accordingly, they have demanded that the 5th round of tripartite be held within the next 45 days at the political level. The Union home secretary GK Pillai and the state chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti have indicated that they would revert to the GJM within 45 days and convey their respective position on that proposal.

But the fact that the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state could be discussed at the 4th round of tripartite today has made the GJM leaders happy. They think that with this they have been able to make one step forward towards their goal. The GJM general secretary, Roshan Giri, who was present in the meeting, said, "we are happy." Consequently, the GJM has decided to scale down their agitation programme from today. The indefinite hunger strike is off now. From today, they would continue with relay hunger strike at three hill subdivision towns and other places.

That the meeting indeed discussed the demand of Gorkhaland was confirmed by none other than the Union home secretary. Pillai has told that the discussion was held in the background of the earlier announcement for the creation of a separate Telangana state in principle. "We are aware of the background of this and had detailed discussions today with the state government representative and GJM various aspects of the formation of the state of Gorkhaland and the issues involved," Pillai said. But he pointed out, "There was no agreement at all on that, and that's why suggestions have been offered to hold talks at the political level."

Earlier, before going the tripartite meet, the state government tried to give the impression that the Centre made it a point not to allow any discussion on the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. After the meeting, Ashok Bhattacharjee, a CPI(M) minister of the Left Front government and in charge of the political affairs of North Bengal, did not contest the development.

But, the GJM will have to wait for a long night as the political establishment in the state is not ready to accept this. Without their support any such move could not be passed by the state assembly. Also, as Pillai pointed out at the tripartite meeting, a vacuum is being created at the hill administration as the earlier Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act is lapsed with dissolution of the 14th Lok Sabha. He has proposed both the state government and the GJM should come up with suggestions for alternative arrangement for the interim period, but according to him, both the sides are yet to finalise their views on interim arrangement.