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Meeting between Rajnath Singh, Gorkha leaders fails to break ice

By Amitava
|
Google Oneindia News

Darjeeling, August 13, 2017: The meeting between Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister and Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) leaders failed to break the ice resulting in a continued deadlock. The ongoing indefinite bandh in the Hills of North Bengal which is to hitthe 60 day mark on Sunday is to continue.

Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee members meet Minister Rajnath SIngh

A 6 member GMCC team met Minister Singh in his residence office in New Delhi on Sunday. They submitted a memorandum to the Minister.

Incidentally the Hills of North Bengal is in the grip of an agitation since June with the demand of a separate state of Gorkhaland. The agitation has left 8 persons dead in alleged police firing along withmany injured including the agitators and security forces.

There have been widespread incidents of arson and vandalizing with Government properties heavily damaged. An indefinite bandh has been clamped in Darjeeling Hills and Kalimpong since June 15.

The agitators have closed the doors to the State Government demanding intervention by the Central Government. They have declared that they will not sit in talks with the State and will only hold meetings with the Union Government over the Gorkhaland issue.

"The meeting with Union Home Minister failed and the deadlock continues. The Minister asked us to sit in bipartite talks with the West Bengal Government. We apprised him that it is not possible to sitin talks with the State Government as the agenda is Gorkhaland. Talks with the State Government can never bear fruit" remarked NB Chettri, GMCC leader. However some of the members feel that at least this meeting has initiated the process of dialogue.

The Minister requested the agitators to lift the ongoing bandh, fast unto death and restore normalcy. "We have to sit in a meeting with other GMCC members. The whole gamut needs to be discussed. Then only the future roadmap will be clear. The agitation for Gorkhaland including the bandh and fast unto death will continue" added Chettri.

The 6 member GMCC comprised of Kalyan Dewan, Tilak Chand Roka and Swaraj Thapa from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha; NB Chettri from the Gorkha National Liberation Front; Arun Ghatani from the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist and Dawa Pakhrin of Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha. Minister SS Ahluwalia, the Member of Parliament from the Darjeeling constituency was also present in the meeting.

A PIB release from the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh made an appeal to the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and other stakeholders to call off the hunger strike, and also to withdraw the bandh call, allowing normalcy to return to the area.
He also appealed to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to initiate a dialogue with the GJM and other stakeholders of Darjeeling, who are on a strike for last 60 days.

I am concerned about the developments in Darjeeling and the loss of valuable lives and sufferings of people over the past 60 days which pains me immensely. Violence can never be a solution to any problem. In a democracy, solutions are always found through restraint, mutual dialogue and within the legal ambit. We all are aware of the strategic importance of the locality and the challenges that we face in the region, and I am kept informed of the developments on a regular basis by my colleague, S S Ahluwalia, MP, Darjeeling.

Keeping in mind the national interest, as well as in the interest of our Gorkha brothers and sisters, who are brave and large hearted people and have contributed immensely to nation building, I appeal to GJM and all other stakeholders to call off the hunger strike, and also to withdraw the bandh call, allowing normalcy to return to the area. It is a move that will help to create an atmosphere for finding a solution to the current crisis.

I also appeal to West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee to initiate a dialogue with the GJM and other stakeholders of Darjeeling, who are on a strike for last 60 days. In the meantime, the stategovernment should restore all civil supplies and also restore internet services, Cable TV and local channels.

I also appeal to the people of Darjeeling to display sensitivity, and also keep in mind their civic responsibilities. No grievances and problems can be resolved without any dialogue" read Minister Rajnath Singh's appeal.

Incidentally the agitators have been alleging that the State Government has been stopping supply of food and essential commodities from the plains to the Hills. There is a clampdown on internetservices also in the Hills.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the recent past has asked the agitators to come to the table. However the invite comes with a rider of withdrawing the bandh and lifting the fast unto death before talks can be initiated.

The 6 member GMCC (a conglomeration of 13 political and apolitical pro Gorkhaland outfits) team's meeting with Minister Rajnath Singh has put the GMCC on a sticky wicket.

All India Gorkha League (AIGL) and the Jan Andolan Party (JAP,) constituent parties of the conglomeration, have questioned as to why they were not informed by the GMCC regarding Sunday's meeting with the Union Home Minister in Delhi.

"On Saturday there was a GMCC meeting in Kalimpong. In the meet there was no mention of any meeting with the Union Home Minister in Delhi.

Late at night from social media sites and media reports we came to know of the talks. However when we called up the Convenor Kalyan Dewan there was no response. There were other constituent parties of the GMCC who knew of the talks," alleged Harka Bahadur Chettri, President, JAP.

He stated that such action raises serious questions like - Who selects who will attend and who will not? Who controls the GMCC? Isn't the very spirit of GMCC which was formed for a joint movement not being jeopardize by such action? JAP has planned to write to the GMCC regarding this. AIGL has also echoed similar sentiments. "The pick and choose policy questions the very existence of GMCC. Something fishy seems to be going on. The AIGL will not allow any compromise by any outfit to reach a settlement that is within the State of West Bengal" retorted Pratap Khati, General Secretary, AIGL.

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