Darjeeling Gorkhaland talks have resumed with the Centre, West Bengal government and major hill-based political groups holding closed-door meetings on a proposed long-term political settlement for the region, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. The discussions are being held at a hotel in Darjeeling and involve the Centre-appointed mediator Pankaj Kumar Singh, Union Home Ministry joint secretary Arvind Kher and West Bengal Home Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh.
The talks began on Thursday and have brought different political positions into the same negotiation process. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, led by Bimal Gurung, has reportedly moved away from an immediate demand for a separate Gorkhaland state in its submission to the mediator. Instead, it has sought the inclusion of 396 Gorkha-dominated mouzas in the plains areas of the Terai and Dooars within a new autonomous institution.
Roshan Giri, the party’s general secretary, said the memorandum submitted to Pankaj Kumar Singh included the demand for the 396 mouzas, along with Scheduled Tribe status for 11 Gorkha communities. The memorandum also sought strong constitutional safeguards for the long-term political and social security of the Gorkha community.
The demand for territorial inclusion is significant because the political dispute extends beyond Darjeeling and the neighbouring hill districts. The areas named in the submission include parts of the Terai and Dooars, where the question of administrative boundaries has remained connected to competing claims over representation, identity and regional governance. Giri referred to the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam while explaining the party’s position on including multiple areas in an autonomous arrangement.
Other organisations taking part in the discussions have maintained a different position. The Gorkhaland Apex Committee and the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front said on Friday that a separate state remained necessary for a permanent resolution of the issues affecting the hills, Terai and Dooars. Ajay Edwards of the Gorkha Janashakti Front said the proposed state should include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik, along with the Terai and Dooars, regardless of the name eventually chosen for it.
The latest meetings follow a high-level meeting between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a Gorkha delegation in Siliguri in August. The Centre subsequently formed a special committee led by Pankaj Kumar Singh. Its stated responsibility is to prepare a framework and agreement for a permanent political settlement for the hill region within the structure of the Indian Constitution.
The competing submissions mean that the current process is addressing both the form of future autonomy and the geographical area that such an arrangement could cover. The discussions also bring together demands ranging from a separate state to a new autonomous institution and constitutional protections for community groups. The meetings in Darjeeling are expected to continue as the mediator and participating parties examine the proposals placed before the committee.
