West Bengal government failed to run GTA: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha

A delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) met Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday and demanded the creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland comprising Darjeeling and its adjoining areas in West Bengal. The GJM team came to the national capital to participate in a tripartite meeting convened by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to discuss "issues related to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)"

New Delhi: Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) leaders from West Bengal on Wednesday said that state government has failed to run the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

A six-member GJM delegation led by former GTA chairman Lopsang Lama today called on Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy and demanded Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 tribal communities living in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, and other hilly districts of West Bengal.

The Gorkha leaders also reiterated their demand for a separate Gorkhaland.

"We have told the Home Ministry that Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has failed due to the negligence of the West Bengal government. In fact, we 44 members (Out of 55) resigned from GTA in 2017," Lama told reporters.

Wednesday's meeting at North Block called by Home Ministry took political parties in Darjeeling by surprise as the agenda of the meeting has been changed from "issues related to Gorkhaland" at the last moment to "issues related to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration."

The meeting was boycotted by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led West Bengal government as members from Bimal Gurung led GJM representatives "only" were invited for the meeting.

In fact, Gurung who had founded GJM and clamped a 104 days Darjeeling hills shut down in 2017 is presently in the run ever since he was charged by the state under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Gurung had signed the GTA accord in 2017, which is a local autonomous body in Darjeeling hills, headed by Binoy Tamang-led faction of the GJM that support the TMC.

West Bengal Home Secretary HK Dwivedi and Darjeeling District magistrate S Ponnambalam have skipped today's meeting. TMC in West Bengal claimed that the meeting was called by the central government keeping next year's Assembly election in the state.

It is pertinent to be mentioned here that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won the only Lok Sabha seat in Darjeeling since 2009. In 2019, BJP had an alliance with the GJM's Gurung faction.

In the 2009 election manifesto, BJP had said that the party will consider the demand for a separate Gorkhaland.

"In today's meeting also we reiterated our demand for a separate Gorkhaland. We believe that BJP will definitely fulfil its promise, they made in the election manifesto," said Gorkha leader Lama.