Save the hills

The Darjeeling hills have been cursed with a political culture of violence that has,since the 80s,denied the people the democratic life ordinarily taken for granted in most parts of this country. Things have not been normal since the GNLFs heyday. After a period of relative calm,during which the GNLF misgoverned and allegedly embezzled public funds,the Gorkhaland mantle was usurped by GNLF-dissenter Bimal Gurungs GJM,which not only hijacked the statehood agenda but also the GNLF style of stifling other Gorkha voices,though minus matching gore. Then,veteran Gorkha politician and All India Gorkha League chief Madan Tamang was brutally killed last May,and the GJM found itself accused of murder. In the eyes of the hills people,that was the moment the GJMs legitimacy to represent them came under a cloud.

This run-up frames the tripartite talks scheduled in Kolkata today,to which,to his own surprise,Subhash Ghising has been invited along with all Darjeeling political outfits,except the GJM. Not only the AIGL but also Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had been opposed to the GJMs inclusion. Ironically,while the GJM will not come to the talks,what practical end will be served without the largest Gorkha group is hard to guess.

The fate of the proposed interim set-up is uncertain. Irrespective of that,the imperative is to immediately restore order in the Darjeeling hills and rescue the people from lawlessness and political violence. The state government is constitutionally bound to provide that security and normalcy,instead of always looking for the easiest political option as it has,historically,in readily accepting whoevers the loudest and most muscular in Darjeeling at the moment. Meanwhile,all parties need to make an effort to work out the rudiments of a sensible solution from the talks,which too should become more frequent,since the lack of an interlocutor breeds dangerous discontent.