Fissures appeared in the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee, an umbrella body of 30 pro-Gorkhaland outfits after a number of parties like CPRM, Jan Andolan Party decided not to join the State Government sponsored all-party meeting on August 29.
The meeting was called for a speedy solution to the ongoing crisis in the Hills which has seen two districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong witnessing indefinite bandh, rampant violence, bombing, arsoning and several deaths for the past 80 odd days on the issue of a separate Gorkhaland State.
Wondering as to “why the parties like Gorkha National liberation Front wrote to the State Government seeking talks without consulting the other constituents,” leaders of CPRM a splinter group of the CPI(M) and the third largest party in the Hills, JAP and other parties said they would not take part in the August 29 meeting.
A meeting of the GMCC scheduled for Sunday was cancelled as the delegates refused to join questioning the arbitrary decision by the GNlF to write to the State Government by-passing the umbrella body.
Notwithstanding, the leaders of both GNlF and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha which is the largest outfit in the Hills have decided to join the meeting where they are likely to raise the issue of separate Gorkhaland State and “nothing else.”
A five-member delegation of the GJM led by senior leader Benay Tamang is likely to attend the all-party meeting where it will raise the issue of “Gorkhaland only,” sources said.
With consecutive high-intensity blasts at several places at Darjeeling and Kalimpong much along the lines of Maoist attacks have made the August 29 meeting all the more important.
“This meeting is important for many reasons. On the success of this meeting will depend the future of Darjeeling and its people. We will attend the meeting to raise the demand for a separate Gorkhaland Stateand nothing less,” Tamang said.
Reacting to the proposed meeting State CPI(M) secretary Suryakanto Mishra said “there should be a tripartite meeting involving theCentre, the State and the people of Darjeeling.” State BJP president Dilip Ghosh hoped a “positive outcome” from the meeting adding hisparty was always ready to help in finding a solution to the vexed issue.