State mum on hill talks: Bista

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, 11 Feb 2020, Siliguri: Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista has claimed the Centre sent multiple reminders to the Bengal government on holding tripartite talks "to find a permanent political solution to the long-pending demands of the people" of the hills, but the state hasn't responded till date.

Bista, along with Alipurduar BJP MP John Barla, met Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai in New Delhi on Monday.

Bista said Rai had called Sudesh Kumar Shani, a joint secretary at the Union ministry, to the meeting.

"Mr. Shahi informed us that the government has sent multiple reminders to West Bengal government regarding tripartite talks to find a permanent political solution to the long-pending demands of the people from Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars. However, the West Bengal government has not responded to those till date," Bista said in a media release.

The Darjeeling MP urged the minister to hold a bipartite meeting between the Centre and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha as the state government was "refusing to attend the talks".

"Both the MoS Home and the joint secretary were positive about the need for talks to begin at the earliest, given the sensitivity of issues," said Bista.

A source at the Bengal secretariat said the state had told the Centre that the Binay Tamang faction of the Morcha should be invited to the talks, and not the party's Bimal Gurung camp. "There are indications that the Centre wants it otherwise. That is why tripartite talks involving the central and state governments and the Morcha could not be held," said the source.

Additional reporting by Pranesh Sarkar in Calcutta.