Hope in Darjeeling--New initiative could resolve Gorkhaland issue

She has been in office less than a month but West Bengal’s first Chief Minister to head a non-Communist regime in more than three decades is already breaking from the past as is evident from the new agreement Ms Mamata Banerjee has signed with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha in a bid to end the long-standing dispute regarding the establishment of a separate Gorkhaland. Leaders of the GJM who are now in control of all the three hill constituencies of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong have decided that the new agreement would form the basis of further negotiations which, if successful, will be not only a proverbial feather in Ms Banerjee’s cap but also, and more importantly, a significant step towards resolving the problem that has plagued the hills of West Bengal for decades. Substantial autonomy for Darjeeling’s hill areas is reportedly one of the key points of the agreement and while details are still unclear, one thing is for sure: For the dialogue to proceed, it is imperative that Ms Banerjee and her colleagues come across as sincere partners who are genuinely interested in solving the Gorkhaland issue. As GJM chief Bimal Gurung said, the crux of the GJM-Trinamool Congress relationship lies in the simple fact that the people of the hills trust their new Chief Minister; yes, they believe her when she says that she wants peace in the region, they have faith that she will work for the development of the hill areas and, much like the rest of the State, they too have reposed their trust in the fundamentals of ma, maati, manush that define the politics of this feisty cotton saree-clad, hawai chappal-sporting leader.

This is not to say that the distance between Kolkata and Darjeeling will now be covered easily or quickly; indeed, a very long and windy road still lies ahead before one may reach the Switzerland of the East which is how Ms Banerjee dreams of Darjeeling. To realise that dream, which is also shared by the development-starved people of Darjeeling, it is important for Kolkata to keep its promises and take a genuine interest in the development of the area. The State Government should empower the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council — similar councils established in the North-East could serve as effective models, especially the Bodo Territorial Council of Assam — and implement a viable power-sharing with it. Simultaneously, it must also invest widely and wisely in regional development. And finally, it must not let a pessimistic Opposition led by the CPI(M) that has failed miserably in Darjeeling and indeed across West Bengal to get in the way. The Left is already raising the bogey of Ms Banerjee giving in to demands for a separate Gorkhaland but such claims are far from the truth — she has clearly said that she will not endorse a new State.
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