BJP, allies must convey Gorkhaland aspirations to state, Centre: Thapa

Amitava Banerjee, MP, August 24, 2026, Darjeeling: The day after Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated that bifurcation of the state would not be acceptable, BGPM president Anit Thapa said BJP and its alliance partners in the hills had a responsibility to convey the people’s aspiration for Gorkhaland to the state and Central governments.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a party organisational programme in Mirik, Thapa commented on Saturday’s meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Chief Minister, BJP’s alliance partners and stakeholders from the hills. He stated: “BJP leaders in the hills had also sought votes in the name of Gorkhaland. Now, how they convey the aspirations of the people of the hills to the Chief Minister of Bengal is their responsibility. We are in favour of Gorkhaland.”

He said the alliance partners were stakeholders in the ongoing dialogue and should work towards ensuring that the aspirations of the people were addressed.

Welcoming the fresh dialogue and formation of a committee under an interlocutor, Thapa said differences could be resolved only through dialogue. He urged stakeholders not to prematurely rule out Gorkhaland.

He traced the origins of the present political dialogue to the period when the Gorkhaland demand had reached the Centre, leading to the creation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

“The dialogue had already reached that level. The GTA was formed under the GTA Act on the basis of that dialogue. The Gorkhaland issue has been kept on record in the GTA agreement. The dialogue should start from here,” Thapa said, recalling that the Congress was in power at the Centre at the time.

“Let us move forward positively. We gave up the GTA for Gorkhaland. We do not believe in conflict; we believe in dialogue,” he said.

Commenting on the Siliguri meeting, CPIM leader Saman Pathak stated: “It is clear from the statement of representatives of different political parties who had attended the meeting that statehood is not possible, but the government is ready to give something less than statehood, an autonomous body. Our stand is clear. We have been demanding for decades, a state within a state by amending Article 244 of the Indian Constitution. The highest form of autonomy for this region.”

Meanwhile, speaking at the 38th Gorkha Citizenship Day programme organised by the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) at Gorkha Rangamancha Bhawan, Darjeeling on Sunday, Mann Ghising, President, GNLF, referring to Saturday’s meeting in Siliguri, said the issue had now moved in the right direction.

He expressed hope that the Gorkhas would finally receive justice. Ghising said discussions had focused on safeguarding the Gorkha community within the framework of the Constitution.

Incidentally, Gorkha Citizenship Day is observed annually on August 23 to mark the 1988 government notification clarifying and recognising the Indian citizenship of Gorkhas domiciled in India at the commencement of the Constitution on January 26, 1950.

Courtesy and Source: Millennium Post