Amit Shah on a quest to find 'permanent political solution' for Darjeeling land dispute
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday held a crucial meeting with senior leaders from the Darjeeling hills at a hotel in Sukna during the final day of his three-day visit to north Bengal.
The meeting is expected to centre on efforts to find a “permanent political solution” to the long-standing demands of the Darjeeling hills within the constitutional framework, officials said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended the meeting along with Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and senior party leader Roshan Giri. Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Mann Ghisingh, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, several state ministers, BJP MLAs from the hills and senior state government officials were also present.
The discussions are expected to take up the BJP’s pre-election commitment to finding a permanent political solution for the Gorkha community and other residents of the hills. The region has witnessed a decades-long demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.
Previous attempts to address the political issue included the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) and later the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). However, these arrangements have not brought a lasting resolution to the region’s political, economic and administrative concerns.
(with inputs from PTI)
