West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee has finally decided to call a meeting and hold talks with GNLF regarding the demand for Gorkhaland which has resulted in a complete shut down in the hills for more than 70 days now.
The unrest in Darjeeling demonstrating protest demanding for a separate Gorkhaland has now been there for more than 70 days, causing a major loss to the locals as well as the government. GJM along with other regional parties have been demanding for a separate statehood for the Gorkhas. It has been more than two months now that Darjeeling is facing an indefinite shut down with all the offices schools and shops closed other than the medical outlets. The protest taking a violent shape has also brought in major losses to the government with many properties and documents destroyed and burnt down. Not only the government and the locals but the educational systems have also borne major losses. The boarding schools were forced to shift the students to safer grounds and hold classes for the pupils appearing for board exams.
Not only the government but even the local people are suffering the bad effects of the violent protest. Mamata Banerjee led government in order to maintain law and order in the region has deployed army units and have banned the supply of all basic necessities including a ban on telephone and internet services. But these measures taken by the government to curb the protest, backfired, by further agitating the protestors.
As per the recent updates worried by the deteriorating situations in the hills Gorkha National Liberal Front (GNLF), the party of erstwhile Gorkha leader Subhas Ghising wrote a letter to the Chief Minister seeking the government’s intervention to restore peace in the hills.
“My party is deeply concerned about the day by day deteriorating condition of the people of hill areas of Darjeeling and if this situation is allowed to be continued, the system may collapse. I also apprehend that the situation of the hill areas of Darjeeling will go beyond control if present crisis is left unattended. I therefore humbly request you to kindly open a dialogue immediately to bring back normalcy and restore peace and tranquility in the hill areas,“ wrote M Ghishing, president of GNLF.
Responding to the letter Banerjee has called a meeting on August 29 to resolve the stalemate. “The government has taken all possible efforts to maintain peace in the area. In earlier occasions, we called all political parties to join an all-party meeting, but none turned up. Even though the government suffered a huge damage due to this strike, we want to bring peace in the region. Several lives were lost, private and government properties were damaged. Police forces exercised restraint. But now, it is time to bring normalcy back. We will be holding a meeting at Nabanna on August 29 and request all stakeholders and major political forces to join me and major political forces to join the meeting to restore peace,“ said Banerjee.
Though in the past also on several occasions such statements were issued by Banerjee saying the government is ready to take the initiative and restore peace in the hills given that GJM ends the indefinite shut down in the region.
Meanwhile, after the initiatives taken by GNLF and the government also agreeing to pin dialogues over the Gorkhaland issue, it is for the first time that GJM has also agreed to hold discussions. GJM Vice President Binoy Tamang on Monday said that his party is ready to talk to the government in this regard.
According to a police source, the need for holding talks with the government finally rose after the recent string of incidents took place. The protest in past 70 days has engulfed the lives of several protestors and police men, also causing damage to many properties. Following the recent incident of IED explosion in Darjeeling and death of a person in a grenade attack on Kalimpong police station, the police started cases against GJM chief Bimal Gurung and other leaders under the UAPA (Unlawful Activity Prevention Act), that is mainly used against criminals accused of terror activities, BJP an ally of GJM guided the party to open negotiation with Banerjee-led government.