Gurung hopes for solution from reports of committee on Hill crisis

Darjeeling: With the Union government failing to spell out the date for talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) on the Darjeeling impasse, Bimal Gurung is now banking on reports of a high-powered committee being formed to coordinate with the Bengal government to work out a permanent solution for the Darjeeling impasse.

Incidentally, on September 26, Union Home minister Rajnath Singh had made an appeal to Gurung to lift the bandh. He had assured a meeting between the Union government and the GJM to work out a permanent solution to the Darjeeling impasse within a fortnight (from 26th September).

Based on this assurance, Gurung had ordered the lifting of the bandh from September 27. Though the deadline for the meeting has already expired, the Centre has failed to announce the date for the meeting.

Gurung, who is on the run, on Wednesday had claimed that Darjeeling MP S S Ahluwalia could make an important announcement regarding the meeting on Thursday. However, no such announcement was made by the MP on Thursday.

Instead, there were newspaper reports that the Union Home Ministry has formed a negotiation committee to initiate a dialogue with the Mamata Banerjee-government and GJM to work out a permanent solution to the ongoing impasse.

The report claimed that the Union government will not directly intervene but will help the state government to work out a permanent solution. The report further stated that date for talks will be fixed with Mamata Banerjee's consent.

When questioned on this development and the failure of the Centre to announce date for talks, Gurung over the phone stated: "The Centre is doing its level best for Gorkhaland. They have constituted a committee. People will have to remain patient. Something good will definitely happen."

He stated that the meeting was not the ultimate aim, as long as the end result is favourable.

When questioned on the Centre's decision to involve the Mamata Banerjee-led government to resolve the impasse, Gurung stated: "The state government has to be involved. We are not demanding a separate country. We want a state within the Indian federal structure. The Bengal government has to be involved," stated Gurung.

Meanwhile, the Jan Mukti Asthahi Karmachari Sanghatan (association of adhoc GTA workers affiliated to the GJM) formed a new central committee on Thursday in Darjeeling. The new committee has pledged support to the Binay Tamang faction of the GJM.