All parties meeting on Delhi talks

‘All parties’ to join Morcha in Delhi talks
- Cong, BJP and CPI also part of team
OUR CORRESPONDNT - The Telegraph
The ‘all-party’ meeting in progress. (Suman Tamang)

Darjeeling, Sept. 1: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to take representatives of all hill parties along with those from the Adivasis in the Terai and the Dooars to attend the tripartite meeting in New Delhi on September 9.

The delegation will also comprise the hill units of the Congress, BJP and the CPI. “The political parties that attended the meeting today have decided to send one representative each. We will hold another discussion with those who will be part of the delegation on September 4 to work out the modalities,” said Bimal Gurung, the Morcha president who chaired the meeting attended by 12 political outfits.

“We will discuss only Gorkhaland and nothing else at the tripartite meeting. We are also taking representatives of the Adivasi community from Siliguri and the Dooars.”

The hill outfits have decided to submit the names of their delegates by tomorrow afternoon. The ABGL, which was earlier sceptical about attending the meeting, said it, too, has decided to go for the talks. “We will join the tripartite meeting, but we will also hold a discussion among ourselves tomorrow,” said Laxman Pradhan, the president of the ABGL district committee.

The CPRM, which had been upset with the Morcha for having refused to support its August 22 shutdown call, will also attend the talks. “The meeting is on Gorkhaland and that is why we decided to be part of the delegation,” said Sawan Rai, a central committee leader of the CPRM.

Asked if the hill Congress has taken permission from the state unit regarding its participation, Nahakul Chhetri, the vice-president of the party’s district (hill) committee, said: “That is our problem.”

The BJP, too, spoke on similar lines while Gopal Chhetri, who represents the Trinamul Congress in the hills, said: “I have decided to revolt and this is the end of the matter.”

Mohan Dhukhan Rai, a member of the CPI state committee, said since the hill unit was formed to look after the interests of people here, he would attend the talks.

This is the third “all party” meeting in the hills being held on statehood. The first was on November 8 while the second was on June 17 when “all parties” resolved to support the Gorkhaland demand.

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‘GJMM to focus on Gorkhaland at Delhi talks’
Statesman News Service

DARJEELING, Sept. 1: All Hill parties unanimously adopted a resolution to press the one-point demand of Gorkhaland with the Centre at the proposed 8 September tripartite talks in New Delhi. “Gorkhaland will be our one-point demand for discussion and any alternatives like development or more power to the DGHC would be totally unacceptable to the all-party delegation that would go to New Delhi,” stated GJMM president Mr Bimal Gurung.

Around 12 parties including the CPRM, AIGL, Gorkha Rashtriya Congress (GRC), BJP, CPI, Congress, Trinamul Congress and other minority communities participated in the meeting, which concluded with the decision to hold another preparatory meeting on 4 September after the final members of the delegation are shortlisted. “One representative from each party will comprise the delegation. The parties will decide shortly and inform us before the meeting on 4 September when we will prepare a memorandum and discuss further details on the Gorkhaland demand,” Mr Gurung informed.

Along with representatives from Dooars and Siliguri, an adivasi representative will also accompany the delegation, he added. Setting aside differences with the GJMM that had cropped up in recent times, the AIGL and CPRM leaderships reiterated their support for Gorkhaland today. “The Hill Congress also fully supports Gorkhaland and we have informed the Pradesh Congress Committee of our decision,” said local Congress leader Mr Nahakul Chettri.

“Democracy is at peril in West Bengal. This is proved by their attempts to suppress the peoples’ aspiration for Gorkhaland. BJP supports the theory of smaller states. Three states were formed during the NDA tenure and we fully support the demand for a separate state,” said BJP leader Mr GS Yonzon.

Meanwhile, the Gorkha Rashtriya Congress and Sikkim Rashtriya Congress which support the Darjeeling-Sikkim merger theory, asserted that eventually it is freedom from Bengal's domination that matters.

Asked if GJMM would retaliate if the tripartite talks proved inconsequential the GJMM chief said. “The GJMM will do nothing to harm the tourist season and we have already declared the programme to wear traditional dresses for a month. This is just the first round of talks to be held at the secretary level where we will apprise the Centre of our demand.”