Mamata has Gurung on her side, for now

KOLKATA,May 31: In her first meeting as chief minister with Bimal Gurung, Mamata Banerjee persuaded the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president to sit with officials on June 6 to discuss the pressing problems of the Hills. The thorny political issues were deferred to a tripartite meeting at a later date. 
"We all love Darjeeling. It is very much a part of West Bengal and will continue to remain so," Mamata announced after an hour-long meeting with Gurung. The GJM president said, "We did not insist on anything. We are impressed with all the plans the chief minister has for the Hills and we want to see what she does. There will in any case be tripartite meetings later."  
Mamata accepted an invitation from the GJM to visit Darjeeling.

Besides Gurung, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri and the four party MLAs were present in the meeting as was chief secretary Samar Ghosh.

Gurung agreed to Mamata's suggestion that the CID should investigate into the Sibchu police firing on February 8 in which three GJM supporters were killed. "GJM leaders have been demanding a CBI investigation into the Sibchu incident.

I have requested them to keep faith in the CID. We are reorganizing the CID and it should carry out an impartial investigation. We will take steps in accordance with their findings," Mamata said. She also announced that the government would pay compensations to the family members of the three killed.

The GJM president accused the previous Left Front government of indulging in "politics" in the hills. "Mamata Banerjee has assured us of a fair investigation by the CID. We are ready to keep faith in her as she has ousted the CPM from power after 34 years. The CPM government has only done politics in the hills," he said.

Mamata said the chief secretary would hold the official-level meeting on June 6. After that he would speak to the Centre for a tripartite talk on contentious issues. "We want a solution as soon as possible. If there is a political vision, things work out according to plan. We want good things to happen to Darjeeling and the state," the CM said.

The confidence that Mamata managed to generate in the minds of GJM leaders was not a sudden development. The groundwork was laid last year when she visited Darjeeling. Even on Monday, She made it a point to personally approach the four GJM MLAs in the floor of the assembly and greet them. The GJM legislators were made to sit on the treasury benches .

-TOI