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Talks on with Ghising, Gurung: West Bengal

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government is continuing talks with Subhas Ghising, administrator, Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), and his political adversary Bimal Gurung, chief of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), to end the impasse in the Darjeeling hills.

The GJM-sponsored bandh has entered its ninth day on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, there were reports that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has advised the Union Home Ministry to freshly assess the ground realities in the Darjeeling hills before proceeding with the amendment Bills that seek Sixth Schedule status to the region.

Reacting to the news, Mr. Gurung told The Hindu that “this is a positive development.”

He will have a second round of talks with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Friday. Mr. Gurung has been demanding the scrapping of the move for such status to the Darjeeling hills.

Mr. Gurung who will have a second round of talks with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday expressed satisfaction with reports earlier in the day that the parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs had advised the Union Home Ministry to assess the ground realities in the Darjeeling hills afresh before proceeding with the amendment bills that seek granting of Sixth Schedule status to the region.

Mr. Gurung’s remark after a meeting with Mr. Bhattacharjee on Wednesday that the latter’s response to the GJM’s demands was “positive” had fuelled speculation that Mr. Ghising could be asked to relinquish his post as DGHC administrator even before his term expires on March 24.

However, State Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray, said “talks are on with both sides.” He said the government was monitoring the situation in the Darjeeling hills.

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