Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) on Tuesday claimed 13 parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress and the BJP, had unanimously decided to support the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state.
The GJM-backed meeting in Darjeeling asked the Centre to create “a separate state of Gorkhaland comprising areas of Darjeeling and contiguous areas of Dooars.”
The BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI, All-India Gorkha League, Sikkim National Front, Indian Muslim League, GNLF-C (a breakaway group of the GNLF), CPRM (a breakaway group of the CPI-M) and Hill Congress attended the Darjeeling meeting, claimed GJM central committee member D K Pradhan.
The Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) of Subhash Ghising and the CPI-M, which heads the West Bengal government, didn’t attend the meeting.
Pradhan said the meeting condemned the state government and CPI-M’s "atrocities" in Siliguri and Dooars and the "trampling" of democracy”.
GJM chief Bimal Gurung told reporters after the meeting that he is ready for talks with the Central government but won’t “engage with the West Bengal government.
"We will not engage in talks with West Bengal government. We will talk only to the Central government," he said.
Gurung made it clear the GJM indefinite strike in the Darjeeling Hills won’t end soon. "We have asked people to stock food for 45 days, but the bandh may stretch beyond that," said Pradhan.
The CPI, Trinamool, Congress and BJP say they had not authorized any leader to attend the meeting. The CPI said it would take action against Mohan Singh Rai, a former MLA, for attending the meeting. "This violates party decision and we will initiate action against him," said CPI state secretary Manju Majumdar.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has called for an all-party meeting in Kolkata but the GJM has not been invited.
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