Click to play videoKolkata: The tripartite talks on Gorkhaland between the Centre, West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) are expected to take place on Monday in Darjeeling. But the demands of the three parties differ considerably.
A 16 member delegation from the GJM - comprising mostly Gorkha Youth Wing workers - are participating in the talks. The delegation is headed by General Secretary Roshan Giri. GJM President Bimal Gurung is not participating in the talks.
The West Bengal government delegation is being led by Chief Secy Ashok Mohan Chakraborty and Union Home Secretary G K Pillai is heading the Central delegation. In all 27 people are taking part in the talks.
The Centre warned on Sunday that it will not bow down to pressure for a separate state.
“We are trying to resolve all problems through discussion and if possible then by bringing people to discuss their views to find out a solution acceptable to both sides but if somebody wants to impose a solution that becomes difficult,” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.
As Chief Secretary GK Pillai reaches Darjeeling for Monday's tripartite talks, expectations are running high.
The GJM has suspended its hunger strike ahead of the talks. However, they have warned that turbulent scenes from last week will be repeated if the talks don’t bear fruit.
“If we don’t find a fruitful result then we will resort to democratic form of agitation. We will go ahead with our fast unto death program. We have no other option but to resort to agitation if we don’t find a good solution,” GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri said.
But all the West Bengal government is likely to offer is greater autonomy. Reports say one key proposal could be to upgrade the status of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, and bring more sub-divisions under its ambit.
A M Chakraborty said, "We do not have any specific agenda for the talks. It is a continuation of the talks already held by the Centre. It is for peace and development in the hills. We will not walk out of the meeting."
Meanwhile, the Gorkhas are unlikely to relent. As the three parties sit down for the talks, their aspirations are poles apart and it is certain that sparks will fly.
The stir seems to have got a fillip after the Central Government conceded the demand for Telangana state to be formed out of 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
The GJM organised indefinite shutdowns twice in the hills last year and once in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls this year, severely hitting tea, timber and tourism - the bread and butter of the region.
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