GJM leaders meet Patil; Darjeeling bandh relaxed till July 5

A four-member delegation of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) demanding for a separate Gorkhaland state out of West Bengal met the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday. It was led by the GJM General Secretary, Shri Roshan Giri.

The delegation submitted a memorandum in support of their demands. The Union Home Minister heard the delegation patiently. He said that the issues raised by them should be resolved through dialogue in a peaceful manner with the State. If any co-operation is needed, the Union may help the State and others also if such co-operation is asked for. He emphasized the need to maintain peace and free movement of essential commodities in the region.

Some senior officers of the Union Home Ministry including the Special Secretary (Internal Security), M.L. Kumawat were also present during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the GJM has extended the relaxation in the indefinite bandh in Darjeeling hills till July 05. The GJM President Bimal Gurung has called for the relaxation to further facilitate the movement of emergency supply of essential items to the state.

GJM supporters had also held a protest march near Jantar Mantar and reportedly in the next couple of days the Gorkha leaders are planning to meet leaders of various political parties to explain their demands.

Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) is agitating for a separate state for Gorkhas living in the northern West Bengal. Local communities including Lepchas, Bhutanese and Nepalis, who have been living in Darjeeling and surrounding regions since decades, have raised their voice for a separate Gorkhaland state in the region. However, they want the creation of a separate stateland within the constitutional framework of India.

The Gorkhaland National Liberation Front in the leadership of Subhash Gishing who spearheaded the movement in 1980s though demanded a separate land but the Central government gave its answer to it by establishing the Darjiling Gorkha Hill Council within West Bengal, a partial autonomy for the development of hill region. However, as per Gorkha community this has not served to their purpose of complete socio-economic development.

Earlier the Gorkhas had rejected West Bengal government's call for a talk and pressed for the intervention of the Centre for resolving the crisis in the Darjeeling Hills.