Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to meet on political solution

Both the BJP and Trinamul, heading the central and state governments, respectively, have separately promised a PPS for the region

Morcha chief Bimal Gurung.: File photo

Vivek Chhetri   |   TT  |  Darjeeling   |  09.11.21: The issue of finding a permanent political solution (PPS) for the Darjeeling region is gaining steam with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha deciding to convene a seminar with various stakeholders in Darjeeling on November 20 to firm up their proposal before the state government.

Both the BJP and Trinamul, heading the central and state governments, respectively, have separately promised a PPS for the region.

However, the contours of the much-used term have not been clarified.

On their latest move, Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: “We have decided to organise a seminar with stakeholders to seek feedback from various quarters on the permanent political solution.”

Earlier, Giri had talked about a provision under Article 244 (A) of the Constitution.

This article was inserted in the Constitution in 1969 for formation “of an autonomous state comprising certain tribal areas in Assam” with provision for creating local legislature or council of minister or both thereof.

The list of participants for the Morcha seminar to be held at Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan (GDNS) hall in Darjeeling will be finalised by the party on Wednesday.

 Gurung and Anit Thapa, though bitter rivals in hill politics, are with Trinamul. Thapa heads the recently formed Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha, parting ways with Binay Tamang.

Tamang, who is yet to start the “third chapter of his political life”, is also Trinamul’s ally.

Thapa, too, recently formed a seven-member committee to seek opinions from various stakeholders before finalising their PPS proposal.

These developments come in the wake of Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent visit to north Bengal.

There, during an administrative meeting in Kurseong on October 26, Mamata asked both Giri and Thapa to work out a PPS proposal and hand it over to the state government.

Trinamul, however, has always been against the separate state of Gorkhaland.

The BJP had coined the term PPS in its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto. However, the party had not given a clear definition. Even now, the exact meaning of the much-used term  has not be spelt out by the saffron party.

The BJP-led central government has also started working on their PPS with the Union home minister Amit Shah holding a tripartite talk with BJP legislators from the region and its hill allies in Delhi on October 12.

The BJP’s hill allies such as the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) maintain that their understanding of PPS is a separate state of Gorkhaland.

“The BJP, however, is keeping their cards close to their chest. The Centre is also likely to convene another round of tripartite meetings within a month or two,” said a hill observer.