Hint at 'PPS' after assembly polls -process to expedite the demand for tribal status to 11 different communities were underway

REZA PRADHAN, SNS,  DARJEELING, 17 DECEMBER: Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Maixist (CPRM) both hinted today that a Permanent Political Solution (PPS) would not be possible before the Assembly elections next year, while both the parties claimed that the process to expedite the demand for tribal status to 11 different communities were already underway.

The two parties spoke on these lines after a meeting of leaders of the MP-alliance parties from the  Hills with the Union Minister of State G Kishan Reddy.

When contacted, Mr Zimba said, "The meeting could not be held with the Home minister today as he was busy and not keeping well. The meeting was, however, fruitful and truthful, where both issues mentioned in the BJP manifesto were discussed. The issue of tribal status is being pursued by them with the RGI and the Home ministry going to expedite the process and it will happen soon."

"As for the issue of the PPS, I feel that dialogue for it started today and more dialogues for it will take place. But in order to have a better PPS for the Gorkhas,we have to wait for the change of government in West Bengal," he said.

He, however, said it is too early to come out in the open as to what the PPS was, "but unlike the Bengal CM's PPS which would be under the state Act, and which will have no constitutional guarantee and which will suppress the issue of Gorkhland, our PPS would be under the Central Act, have constitutional safeguard and hold to the true sense of the word identity."

On the other hand, CPRM leader Kishore Pradhan said, "We feel that no decision regarding the PPS will be taken before the Bengal elections, and for the CPRM, it can be done before 2024, as their manifesto is valid till then. But the issue of tribal status can be done before the Assembly elections, and a Bill should come before that, which was stressed upon. We feel that the BJP is also positive on it. However, we have demanded that a dialogue for PPS should be started now." According to him, though the PPS for the CPRM meant Gorkhaland, everyone present in the meeting unanimously agreed on it, "meaning division from Bengal." The hill leaders said they will also meet the Home Minister to discuss these issues in a day or two.