Darjeeling: The Union government’s recent appointment of an interlocutor to look into the Gorkha issue continues to occupy centre stage in Hill politics. Political reactions remain divided.
The interlocutor, Pankaj Kumar Singh, former Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Deputy National Security Advisor, has been tasked with examining long-pending political and administrative demands of the Gorkhas. Singh is likely to visit the Darjeeling Hills in mid-November, as per unconfirmed reports.
Reacting sharply to the Centre’s decision, Anit Thapa, Chief Executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and president of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Mocha (BGPM), called the move “a mere emotional propaganda” aimed at securing votes before the Assembly elections in Bengal. Speaking at a meeting in Sonada-Pachang Constituency, Thapa alleged that the BJP only raises Gorkha issues during election season.
“If they truly wanted to solve the problem, they could have done it long ago. This is nothing but another ploy to influence voters,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has initiated efforts to build consensus among Hill-based parties ahead of the interlocutor’s visit. Noman Rai, youth leader of the GJM, announced that an all-party meeting will be held on November 9 at 11 am in the GDNS Conference Hall, Darjeeling. “We have invited 12 parties, including the BJP, Trinamool Congress (TMC), BGPM and the Indian Gorkha Joint Front (IGJF), to make their positions clear on the future of the Gorkha issue,” he said.
Rai explained that the meeting aims to present a unified front before the interlocutor. “We must not go divided when the interlocutor arrives. This is an opportunity to put forth a collective and consistent stand before the government,” he stressed. Both Darjeeling MP Raju Bista and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla have been invited to attend the discussion.
When asked about the GJM’s stance—whether it continues to demand a separate state of Gorkhaland or supports the proposed “Gorkhaland Territorial Region (GTR)”—Rai offered clarification. “The GJM was born with the objective of creating Gorkhaland. However, during our president Bimal Gurung’s meeting with Union Home minister Amit Shah in September, the idea of a highest form of autonomy, similar to the Bodoland Territorial Region, was proposed by minister Shah, under the name ‘Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.’ We could have kept this confidential, but we decided to make it public for the sake of transparency,” he said.
Rai added that the final position will depend on collective consensus among all parties. “If every political party in the Hills agrees to push for a separate state, the GJM will fully support that stand.”