Gorkhaland Apex Committee Presents Unified Statehood Demand to High-Power Central Panel in Darjeeling

KalimNews, Oct 9, 2026, Darjeeling: In a decisive engagement regarding regional aspirations, a high-level central government delegation convened with diverse regional stakeholders across the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills, as well as the adjoining plains, to address the long-standing demand for a separate Gorkhaland state and the inclusion of 11 left-out Gorkha communities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.

The official government panel—comprising Pankaj Kumar Singh, IAS, Interlocutor and Chairman of the High-Power Committee; Sanghamitra Ghose, Principal Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department of West Bengal; and Arvind Kher, Joint Secretary of Home Affairs for the Government of India—held consultations at the Mayfair Hotel in Darjeeling. Among the prominent delegations was the Gorkhaland Apex Committee, led by prominent academician Mahendra P. Lama, accompanied by Trilok Dewan, former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, and Saroj K. Gazmer, former Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The Apex Body functions as a unified platform bridging the National Gorkhaland Committee and the Statehood Demand Coordination Committee, drawing broad-based backing from major regional parties including the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front (IGJF), Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM), Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Gorkha Rashtriya Nirman Morcha (GRNM), the newly established Gorkhaland Sangram Party, as well as indigenous tribal representatives from the plains and the Dooars.

Following a focused deliberation with the central panel, Lama highlighted that the Apex Body articulated the demand for Gorkhaland not merely as an administrative adjustment, but as a foundational, historical necessity and the sole definitive aspiration of the region. The delegation traced the entire trajectory of the movement, highlighting decades of public struggle, previous administrative interventions, and the persistent discontent among Gorkhas regarding past settlements. The representatives demonstrated how genuine statehood remains the only permanent resolution capable of addressing core socio-political grievances.

Addressing long-standing questions regarding economic viability, the delegation substantiated their case by presenting economic models based on regional revenue drivers, including tea cultivation, cinchona production, tourism, and related natural resources. According to Lama, the government panel engaged with these proposals attentively. The committee also placed strong emphasis on the pivotal contributions of Gorkhas toward nation-building, spanning the freedom movement to contemporary defense, underscoring that Gorkhaland is fundamentally an identity imperative for Gorkhas across India, as well as a vital regional requirement encompassing the Hills, Terai, and Dooars. The central panel indicated that its outreach would soon extend directly to the plains.

Speaking to the media, Lama emphasized the geopolitical dimension of the region, noting that its proximity to the strategic Siliguri Corridor—popularly known as the "Chicken's Neck"—makes statehood a matter of vital national security. He noted a noticeable receptiveness from the Centre, indicating that while formal terms remain subject to negotiation, the timing and unity of the representation place the issue on solid footing. Lama urged all political entities, civic forums, and journalists to maintain a cohesive, disciplined voice, emphasizing that collective solidarity and articulate negotiation are essential to ensuring that the voice of the region achieves a meaningful constitutional outcome.