MP puts talks ball in state court

TT, Sept. 5: Darjeeling MP and Union Minister S.S. Ahluwalia today put the ball in the court of the Bengal government for reviving the tripartite dialogue to end the impasse in the hills.

"The initiative for tripartite dialogue has to be taken by the state government. As the MP, I facilitated their (Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's) meeting with the home minister. The home minister asked them to take up the issue with the state government. The state government has to take the initiative now for the tripartite dialogue," Alhuwalia told The Telegraph on the sidelines of a news conference by his senior colleague Uma Bharati.

Darjeeling has been witnessing turmoil in recent months over the demand for statehood. The minister of state for drinking water and sanitation said he always believed that dialogue was the only way forward for any issue.

Home ministry sources had last week told this newspaper that the Centre was considering a tripartite meeting involving the Bengal government and the Morcha.