Asok expresses doubt over tripartite Hill meet

SNS, Siliguri, 3 October 2013: The former state urban development minister and a senior CPI-M leader, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, today expressed doubt over whether the tripartite meeting would be convened in the near future to break the impasse continuing in the Darjeeling Hills. 

“The Centre cannot convene the tripartite meeting without the consent from the state government. Even the Centre cannot call a GTA review meeting if the state does not endorse. The state government’s illogical rigidity smacking of hostility is coming in the way,” he said. 

Taking cudgels at the state government, the Marxist leader said it is bent on keeping the ferment alive to milk it electorally. 

“The ruling party wants to whip up Bengali sentiment that is traditionally anti-Gorkhaland in the belief that it would bring handsome electoral dividends for the upcoming Parliamentary election across the state. But this sectarian strategy based on electoral machinations might boomerang to the detriment of the long-term interests of the state,” he said. 

Citing the former chief minister Jyoti Basu’s speech on the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) bill in the state Assembly on 5 September 1988, Mr Bhattacharya said: “The late leader stressed on the immense significance inherent in new experiment meant to satisfy the aspirations of an easily identifiable group of people concentrated in a compact area without tearing apart the basic fabric of the state.” 

“According to him, the success of this experiment hinges on exercise of goodwill and restraint on the part of all concerned. Basu kept stressing on implementing the agreement both in its letter and spirit”, Mr Bhattacharya also said. 

Contrasting this guideline as was laid down by the legendary chief minister with the cavalier handling of the emotive issue by the present government, Mr Bhattacharya said the latter seems to be trampling upon the spirit of the GTA agreement. 

“This would auger ill for the state in the long run,” he warned.