Even as the bandh called by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in the Darjeeling hills entered the seventh day on Tuesday, the GJM leadership reasserted that the Centre should give credence to its demand for inclusion of Gorkha-dominated areas in the Terai and Dooars regions in north Bengal within the jurisdiction of any “interim” administrative arrangement that might be under its consideration till, what the GJM describes as the “ultimate solution” — the creation of a separate Gorkhaland State.
“What we are looking for is some kind of declaration from the Centre on the territorial issue without which tripartite talks to resolve the on-going political crisis will be meaningless,” Harka Bahadur Chettri, senior GJM leader and member of the party's central committee, told The Hindu over telephone from the Kalimpong sub-division.
“Whatever the shape of an interim arrangement, there should be an announcement of — as earlier agreed on — the setting up of a joint verification committee comprising members of the Centre, the West Bengal government and the GJM to ascertain which pockets in the Terai and Dooars regions could be included within the territorial jurisdiction of the arrangement,” Dr. Chettri said.
Time for negotiations
“The tenure of such a body should be limited to two years to give us [the GJM] time for further negotiations on the statehood issue,” he added.
The West Bengal government has made clear its opposition to any division of the State.
Only a few days ago, did the GJM leadership reject a draft proposal for an interim set-up for the region, reportedly sent to it by the Centre and which it dismissed as a “non-statement.”
Its views on the matter were communicated to the Centre's interlocutor Lt. Gen. (retd.) Vijay Madan, Dr. Chettri said.
