Bengal CM seeks peaceful solution to hills' problem

Kolkata, May 4 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today urged the people of Darjeeling to submit a memorandum stating their exact demands and expectations from the state and central governments.

Speaking to a local news channel here, Mr Bhattacharjee said he had heard their opinion at public meetings and read about them in the media, but have not received any formal letter or memorandum stating their exact demands or expectations from the state and central governments.

He urged the hill people to come forward for an open dialogue over their demands and assured that if needes, the discussion can be taken to the Centre.

In a series of questions that he put forward towards the hill people, he asked, ''What do you really want from us? What do you expect from us or the Centre? What do you want to achieve through your movements?'' However, he maintained that all of the state, including Darjeeling with all its Nepali-speaking and non-Nepali-speaking have co-existed for ages in peaceful manner.

''Why is there this sudden upsurge?'' he asked and urged the people to bring about an amicable solution for lasting peace in the region, otherwise there can not be any development.

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