Latest GTA news | Darjeeling might be violent again

KOLKATA: Darjeeling is likely to be violent again as the high-power committee set up by Mamata Banerjee has recommended inclusion of just five mouzas under the proposed Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) sabha against Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM)'s demand for inclusion of 398 mouzas. West Bengal chief secretary Samar Ghosh has announced the recommendations of the high-power committee headed by retired justice Shyamal Sen and said that the committee has recommended inclusion of three mouzas from Darjeeling district and two from Jalpaiguri district into the proposed GTA Sabha.

Immediately after Ghosh's announcement, the GJM leader Roshan Giri told ET over phone that ""We are not going to accept the recommendations of the high-power committee. It is a biased recommendation and we are not accepting it. We will go for a widespread movement in Darjeeling hills and we will announce our move after holding meeting of GJM leadership.""

""The high-power committee has recommended inclusion of three mouzas of Elemterai, Purba Kalaibari and Gulmathari under Darjeeling district and two mouzas of Samsing and Chalauni under Jalpaiguri district into the GTA Sabha. The GJM had demanded inclusion of 398 mouzas from the two districts into the proposed GTA Sabha. But the high-power committee has found only these five mouzas qualify for inclusion as Gorkha population in these mouzas is over 50 per cent of the total population there,"" Ghosh told reporters at Writers' Buildings on Saturday.

Mamata Banerjee had constituted the high-power committee to consider the demands of the GJM for inclusion of 398 mouzas into the proposed GTA Sabha. The committee was set up after the Centre, West Bengal government and the GJM had signed a tripartite agreement in last July. The sole intention for signing the agreement was to restore peace and normalcy in Darjeeling Hills which had witnessed violent movements by the GJM which had been demanding a separate statehood for the Gorkhas. Mamata's government had also passed the Gorkha Territorial Administration BIll in the state Assembly.

But the GJM has now refused to accept the recommendations by the high-power committee and threatened to go for a larger movement in Darjeeling Hills, which suggests that the Hills will be violent again in the days ahead. 

Source: economictimes

   

 

GJM threatens to re-launch agitation 

The fragile peace in the Darjeeling Hills in West Bengal may well get shattered with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the separatist group demanding statehood, threatening to re-launch its agitation.

The threat issued by senior leader Roshan Giri on Saturday followed the submission of the report of the high-power committee set up to examine the issue of bringing certain areas in the plains under the jurisdiction of the Gorkha Territorial Administration area.

“We are not accepting the report,” Mr. Giri said, adding they would re-launch the agitation after discussions.

Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh had earlier announced at the State Secretariat that the committee led by retired Chief Judge of Allahabad High Court Justice Shyamal Sen had recommended the addition of five mouzas following certain guidelines. Four representatives each of the State government and the GJM were on the panel which also had representation from the Centre.

The GJM had demanded the inclusion of 398 mouzas in Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts saying that a majority of the people in these areas were Gorkhas.  

Source: The Hindu