The fragile peace in the Darjeeling Hills in West Bengal may well get shattered with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the separatist group demanding statehood, threatening to re-launch its agitation.
The threat issued by senior leader Roshan Giri on Saturday followed the submission of the report of the high-power committee set up to examine the issue of bringing certain areas in the plains under the jurisdiction of the Gorkha Territorial Administration area.
“We are not accepting the report,” Mr. Giri said, adding they would re-launch the agitation after discussions.
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Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh had earlier announced at the State Secretariat that the committee led by retired Chief Judge of Allahabad High Court Justice Shyamal Sen had recommended the addition of five mouzas following certain guidelines. Four representatives each of the State government and the GJM were on the panel which also had representation from the Centre.
The GJM had demanded the inclusion of 398 mouzas in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts saying that a majority of the people in these areas were Gorkhas.