Once again, the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland, or a “permanent political solution” for the Hills, is in focus as the Union Home Ministry called for tripartite talks. The long-standing demand to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 Gorkha communities is also expected to be addressed in the talks.
The round of talks, scheduled to be held on April 2, comes after four years since the last one. The Centre last called a tripartite meeting to discuss issues related to Darjeeling on October 12, 2021, with a promise to hold another round of talks in November that year, which did not happen.
“There is only one agenda and that is of a separate homeland. The Sankalpa Patra (manifesto) by the BJP, election after election, highlighted a permanent solution for the hills. Therefore, we welcome the talks,” said Neeraj Zimba, Gorkha National Liberation Front leader and Darjeeling MLA, while talking to The Indian Express over the phone on Thursday.
“Another long pending issue of granting ST status to 11 Gorkha communities is there and will be raised. For a long time, tripartite talks did not take place. Now, it is happening. The people of the Hills are looking forward to it,” Zimba said.
Ajoy Edwards, head of Indian Gorkha Janashakti front, while speaking to The Indian Express over phone, said, “We welcome the tripartite talks. However only MLAs, MPs and the BJP and pro-BJP parties have been called for the meeting. I don’t feel all stakeholders and representatives of the people have been invited. Representatives from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the Opposition have not been invited. We are the biggest opposition in the Hills. They should also call the ruling party of Bengal (TMC).”
“We will write to the Home Minister and highlight the issues of a permanent political solution for the hills and Dooars, and the granting of ST status. If all stakeholders are not called, it will seem like an eye-wash and a BJP-driven meeting,” Edwards said.
However, the Trinamool Congress is critical of the development.
Jay Prakash Majumder, Trinamool Congress state vice-president and spokesperson told The Indian Express, “Darjeeling is a part of West Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is doing a lot of development in the hills. The Centre and BJP want to create tension. They want to keep some issues alive, not solving them and using them for political benefit. Also… who will represent the people of Darjeeling in the meeting? Are they real voices of the people?”
On Wednesday, Raju Bista, BJP MP from Darjeeling and national spokesperson of the party posted on social media, “Today, we have received an invitation from the Ministry of Home Affairs to attend the second round of tripartite talks involving the Central government, all stakeholders from our Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region, and the West Bengal government.”
Sources said the talks would be held at 11 am on April 2 at the North Block in New Delhi, and will be chaired by Minister of State, Home Affairs, Nityanad Rai. Apart from the West Bengal Chief Secretary, officials of the Union Tribal Ministry among others have been invited for the meeting. MLAs and MPs from Darjeeling have also been invited.
Bimal Gurung, president of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, called off a 104-day strike for demand for Gorkhaland on September 26, 2017. The then Union Home Minister, Raj Nath Singh, had promised to call for a tripartite meeting.
Before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP promised a “permanent solution” for the hills, which Gorkha leaders interpreted as a separate state and granting ST status to 11 communities.
A tripartite meeting was held on October 7, 2020 which was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on issues related to Gorkhas, where Bimal Gurung’s party participated.
Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung. (File Photo) 
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