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Darjeeling/Siliguri, May 29: Mamata Banerjee and Bimal Gurung are expected to work out the modalities to resume the tripartite talks on a clean slate while keeping the political compulsions of both sides in mind during their meeting in Calcutta tomorrow.
Without doubt the Morcha leadership is also likely to place before the chief minister a list of local demands which would be necessary for the party to keep its flock together in the hills.
Morcha president Bimal Gurung before leaving for Calcutta told reporters at the Bagdogra airport today that the visit was more of a courtesy call: “We wanted a change in Bengal, as under the Left Front regime the state had been reduced to poverty in the past 34 years. As the Trinamul-Congress combine under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee has given us the much-awaited change, we would like to congratulate her for that.”
Morcha leaders admitted that the solution to the hill impasse could be found only through discussions at the tripartite level. “Even Mamata Banerjee is keen to start the tripartite negotiations and she is aware of the details of the previous meeting,” said a senior leader who is part of the Morcha delegation.
The Morcha is aware that given the thumping victory of Mamata, the chief minister is unlikely to yield to its statehood demand. “The important thing is, however, to begin negotiations. We have given enough indication to the new government that we will not budge an inch from our demand,” the Morcha leader said.
Observers, however, believe that the statement has been made more under compulsion, as both sides are aware that they need to be sensitive to the other’s constraints before starting dialogues.
“As the government is newly formed, it needs some time. We will hold dialogue with the government and whatever issues we discuss at the political or tripartite level, we will let the people know accordingly,” Gurung said this afternoon.
Working out the agenda for the tripartite meeting is not expected to be easy as the Morcha would be reluctant to start negotiations on the line of the “interim set-up” while the government will not like to be seen as having agreed to discuss the “creation of Gorkhaland”.
“The major part of the discussion is likely to hover on how to start the talks,” said an observer.
Morcha insiders said the party delegation would consist of the four MLAs from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Kalchini, party’s general secretary Roshan Giri and study forum members P. Arjun and L.B. Pariyar, besides Gurung.
The delegation is also likely to raise demands like regularisation of DGHC contractual workers, a CBI inquiry into the Sibchu firing, release of political prisoners including Chhatrey Subba, withdrawal of Subash Ghisingh’s Z-category security and putting an end to alleged police harassment of party workers.
“The presence of L.B. Pariyar, who has a thorough understanding of administrative problems in the hills, along with Trilok Dewan, the Darjeeling MLA who is also the former chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, is an indication that these issues will come up for discussion,” said an observer.
Sources said if possible the Morcha could also suggest the various development works that need to be taken up in the hills, while negotiations on “Gorkhaland” continue.
The seating arrangement of the Morcha MLAs in the Assembly is also likely to come up for discussion.
“They do not want to share the same space with the Left Front. They want to stay in the treasury bench but not necessarily as part of the government,” a party leader said.
“While in the treasury bench, Morcha MLAs can speak out against the government (if they felt hill interests are being hurt) in a more effective manner,” he said while stressing that this was a “minor” issue.
-TT
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