‘Bandh till Centre calls tripartite meet’
SILIGURI: The indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling to press for Gorkhaland will continue till the Centre calls a tripartite meeting to discuss the creation of the new state, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) chief Bimal Gurung told HT on Saturday.
The GJM president also said they are ready to participate in the talks with the Mamata Banerjee government scheduled in Siliguri on September 12. This marks a radical shift from Gurung’s position of not going for any talks with the state, especially after the chief minister made it clear on August 29 that her administration has no jurisdiction over the creation of a new state.
“The leaders would attend the September 12 meeting to know what the state government has to say about Gorkhaland,” said Gurung over telephone. However, he also made it clear that the bandh will continue till the Centre convenes a tripartite meeting.
“The bandh will continue till the Centre convenes a tripartite meeting,” Gurung said from his hideout probably somewhere in Sikkim.
On June 20 Union home minister Rajnath Singh told a team of agitators on June 20 that the Centre has nothing to do with the demand for a new state and they should speak to the state government.
So if both the GJM president and the Centre stick to their stand, it is not clear how long would the bandh continue.
Significantly, there has been a change in the situation since the August 29 meeting between the agitators and the state government. GJM chief coordinator Binay Tamang who led a fivemember Morcha team to that meeting has been expelled by Gurung. Instead of suspending the shutdown, as announced by Tamang in Kurseong, the shutdown has been intensified by GJM supporters.