Mamata Banerjee Demands Revocation of Appointment of Interlocutor for Gorkha Issues

PTI, KOLKATA, OCT 18, 2025 :  Expressing "surprise and shock" over the appointment of an interlocutor to hold discussions on issues relating to the Gorkhas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded the revocation of the decision.

Mamata claimed that her government was not consulted before retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh was appointed as the interlocutor for talks on the issues concerning the Gorkhas in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars regions of West Bengal. She called this decision "inconsistent with the spirit of cooperative federalism."

"This appointment has been made without any consultation with the Government of West Bengal, even though the issues under reference directly relate to the governance, peace, and administrative stability of the area under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), an autonomous body under the Government of West Bengal," Mamata wrote in the two-page letter. "Such unilateral action is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperative federalism that forms one of the foundational principles of our Constitution," she added.

Mamata emphasized that any initiative concerning the Gorkha community must involve the West Bengal government to ensure sustained peace and harmony in the region.

"It may be recalled that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was constituted following a Tripartite Agreement signed on 18th July 2011 at Darjeeling, between the Government of India, the Government of West Bengal, and the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) in the presence of the then Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of West Bengal," she said.

"The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was created to ensure socio-economic, infrastructural, educational, cultural, and linguistic developments of the hill areas, while safeguarding the ethnic identity of the Gorkhas and promoting peaceful co-existence among all communities, a hallmark of the unity and harmony of the hills," the Chief Minister noted.

Mamata said peace and harmony have been prevailing in the hill districts of the state, which has been possible due to the concerted and continuous efforts made by her government since it came to power in 2011. "We are committed to continue with our positive efforts in that direction," she said.

Mamata reiterated that the West Bengal government is firmly of the view that any initiative concerning the Gorkha community or the GTA region must be undertaken in full consultation with the state government to preserve the "hard-earned peace and tranquillity in the region."