The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on Tuesday decided to pull out of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) after a meeting of 14 political parties and social organisations in the Darjeeling Hills. The parties unanimously decided to continue the shutdown, and proposed an all-India coordination committee to take up the issue of Gorkhaland.
“The forum [the meeting] unanimously decided that the GTA be scrapped by the GJM as soon as possible...,” P. Arjun, central committee member of the GJM, said after the meeting. The parties of the plains were not invited.
The GTA is an autonomous body, created after an agreement signed by the GJM, the West Bengal government and the Centre in 2011. The GJM has administered it so far.
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Onus on govt.
The meeting, which was attended by almost all parties in the hills, including the Jan Andolan Party, the Gorkha National Liberation Front and the All India Gorkha League, all considered the rivals of the GJM, put the onus of restoring normality on the State government. “The onus of normalising the situation lies with the State government. All repressive forces should be withdrawn from the hills,” Mr. Arjun said. He urged the State to reconsider its policy of making Bengali a compulsory language in all schools and its “rigid stand” on the creation of Gorkhaland. The meeting called for the resumption of Internet services.
A large number of Gorkhaland supporters gathered at Gymkhana Club, where the meeting began with homage to the three GJM supporters who were killed in a violent agitation on June 17. Tension prevailed on the sixth day of the strike. Rallies and processions were taken out.
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Representatives of all the parties decided not to take part in the meeting called by the State government in Siliguri for Thursday. The parties will meet on Saturday. A delegation of all parties in the hills would go to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.