All-party meeting in Kolkata on Darjeeling issue

Kolkata, Jun 17: The West Bengal Government has called an all-party meeting here today to discuss the situation in Darjeeling. State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will preside over the meeting. The meeting assumes significance following agitating Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's (GJM) demand for separate Gorkhaland State.

The Chief Minister separately invited the GJM for a dialogue on June 18, but the hill party turned down his request and instead called for tripartite talks with the Central and State Governments. The GJM resumed indefinite shutdown in three Hill Sub Divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong last evening, in support of their demands. Siliguri, Dooars and Tarai have been kept out of the shutdown.

GJM comprising about half a dozen parties has been organizing protests over the past few months in the Darjeeling hills demanding action for a separate Gorkhaland state.

The group had revived the demand for Sixth schedule status while the GJM, a breakaway faction of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), opposes it demanding full-fledged statehood.

ANI