The Hindu : Front Page : West Bengal to hold talks with Gorkhaland supporters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 12, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

West Bengal to hold talks with Gorkhaland supporters

Special Correspondent

GJM team to meet Chief Secretary on Wednesday

Opposed to granting Sixth Schedule status to the hills
GJM call for a two-day cease-work from today

KOLKATA: The State administration will hold talks for the first time with the leadership of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) that has called for the creation of a separate Gorkhaland State to be carved out of the Darjeeling hills and certain areas contiguous to it.

A GJM delegation is scheduled to hold discussions on its various demands with West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb here on Wednesday, spokesperson of the GJM, Benoy Tamang, told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling on Monday.

The meeting is being convened at a time when the GJM has intensified its agitation in the hills for a separate Statehood, demanded scrapping of plans to grant Sixth Schedule status to the region and called for the “immediate” removal of Subash Ghisingh from the post of administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.

An indefinite hunger strike by GJM activists in support of these demands in Darjeeling and the sub-divisional towns of Kurseong and Kalimpong entered its fifth day. Eleven persons have fallen ill and three admitted to hospital.

The GJM, formed nearly four months ago, claims to have the support of several anti- Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) regional parties and is opposed to the move to grant Sixth Schedule status to the hills that is awaiting ratification of Parliament.

Mr. Ghisingh, who is also the GNLF chief, has been mobilising support of leaders in New Delhi over the past few days for the passing of the amendment Bills pertaining to the granting of Sixth Schedule status to the Darjeeling hills.

The legislation will pave the way for the formation of a hill council that will be vested with more powers than the DGHC that had been set up in 1988.

The West Bengal government, too, is keen that the Bills are passed by Parliament when it meets for the Budget Session. The Bills had been introduced in the House during its winter session but were referred to a standing parliamentary committee on the request of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mr. Ghisingh met the Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani, on February 8 and later said the meeting was fruitful.

The GJM has been demanding that the members of the committee visit Darjeeling to assess the sentiments of the people there a large majority of whom, it claims, is behind the call for Gorkhaland.

It has also called for a two-day cease-work in all Central and State government offices in the region from Tuesday in support of its Statehood demand.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page