Bimal Gurung Bats for Peaceful Resolution, Rekindles Demand for Gorkha Autonomy and Inclusion of 396 Plains Mouzas on GJM's 20th Foundation Day

KalimNews, Oct 8, 2026, Darjeeling: Marking the 20th foundation day of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) at St. Joseph’s School (North Point) grounds in Singamari, Darjeeling, party president Bimal Gurung struck an assertive yet markedly peace-centric tone, affirming that the path forward for the hills, Terai, and Dooars must be paved through democratic consensus, social harmony, and constitutional dialogue rather than confrontation.

Addressing a massive rally of supporters, Gurung openly distanced his current outlook from the tumultuous statehood agitations of 2017, explicitly stating that maturity, changing political realities, and an unwavering commitment to non-violence now govern his leadership. He stressed that his primary mission remains securing an enduring, constitutional solution for the Gorkha community while working cohesively with all communities across the region, including the Rajbanshi, Adivasi, Bodo, Mech, Rabha, Toto, Bengali, Bihari, and Muslim populations.

The high-profile gathering, while attended by prominent regional leaders, saw the last-minute cancellation of scheduled visits by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay). Gurung conveyed that Adhikari's planned visit had been deferred following security assessments and pressing official commitments in Guwahati concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administrative milestones, while sharing a personal message of goodwill from the Chief Minister along with gratitude for the state administration’s logistical support in sponsoring the event pandal. The West Bengal government was officially represented on stage by Minister of State for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama, alongside Darjeeling Member of Parliament and BJP National Spokesperson Raju Bista, MLAs Noman Rai, Sonam Lama, and Bharat Chhetri, Gorkha Development Council Assam Chairman Prem Tamang, and senior delegates from the Bodo Territorial Council.

A major focal point of the assembly was articulated by GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri, who formally brought the contentious question of regional territory back into political prominence. The party officially sought the inclusion of 396 mouzas across the Terai and Dooars plains into the proposed autonomous constitutional arrangement, moving well beyond the traditional administrative parameters of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. Reminding the assembly that earlier deliberations under the Justice Shyamal Sen Committee had recommended only a nominal fraction of plains territories, Giri highlighted that territorial integration had precedent in administrative frameworks like Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council and confirmed that the comprehensive memorandum detailing all 396 mouzas had been formally submitted to the state government.

Optimism ran high among party ranks regarding the institutional mechanisms recently initiated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Speakers pointed to the high-level committee constituted under former Deputy National Security Advisor and retired IPS officer Pankaj Kumar Singh, who is tasked with drafting modalities and advancing bipartite and tripartite deliberations toward a permanent political solution (PPS). The regional leadership expressed confidence that the combined leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari would definitively deliver on long-pending commitments, including constitutional land rights, administrative autonomy, language safeguards, and the granting of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the 11 left-out Gorkha sub-tribes.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, whom Gurung publicly commended as an energetic voice and steadfast parliamentary champion for the hills, acknowledged his own political roots within the GJM, addressing Gurung affectionately as an elder brother while reiterating that any permanent political settlement must unconditionally safeguard the identity, cultural heritage, and land security of the regional population. Concurrently, Minister Bishal Lama honored the sacrifices of early hill activists, emphasizing the state and central government's coordinated roadmap to integrate the hills into the national development mainstream. Lama detailed ongoing recovery packages, including over ₹200 crore earmarked for disaster restoration following severe landslides and Teesta River floods, alongside tourism modernization initiatives under the 'One State, One Destination' umbrella.

Beyond constitutional matters, Gurung focused sharply on the socioeconomic distress plaguing local households, issuing an impassioned appeal for an immediate one-time resolution for 126 school teachers who have remained unpaid for over a decade, alongside swift judicial and administrative clearance for ad-hoc and voluntary teachers. Painting a poignant picture of economic distress that forces local youth to migrate to distant metropolitan hubs like Delhi and Bengaluru, Gurung urged the immediate recruitment of hill youth into vacant block-level offices, panchayats, and regional police forces to stem outbound migration and protect the social fabric of the hills.