Kolkata, August 22 (IANS): A new committee headed by former Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Pankaj Kumar Singh has been formed to recommend ways to achieve a permanent political solution for the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong in north Bengal.
The decision was taken during a crucial tripartite meeting held at Sukna near Siliguri in Darjeeling district on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by senior political representatives from the region.
Those present included West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, BJP Lok Sabha member from Darjeeling Raju Bista and legislators representing the three hill constituencies — Noman Rai from Darjeeling, Bharat Kumar Chhetri from Kalimpong and Sonam Lama from Kurseong.
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) president Bimal Gurung and general secretary Roshan Giri also attended the meeting. Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Man Ghisingh, son of late GNLF founder Subash Ghisingh, was also present.
Pankaj Kumar Singh’s name had been announced as an interlocutor before the West Bengal Assembly elections. The newly constituted committee will now work under his leadership to explore a framework for resolving the long-standing political issues concerning the hills.
The initiative comes in line with the BJP’s election manifesto, which had promised a permanent political solution for the hills while making it clear that the hill areas, along with the Terai and Dooars, would not be separated from West Bengal.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the committee will visit the hills as well as the Terai and Dooars regions and prepare a report for submission to the Union Home Ministry. Representatives of the GJM and GNLF reportedly accepted the proposal during the meeting.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, BJP MP Raju Bista said people in the Gorkha-dominated hills of north Bengal had been raising various demands for a long time.
He said representatives of different political parties presented their views before the Union Home Minister, while the state government also put forward its position. After hearing the stakeholders, Shah announced the formation of the new committee, Bista said.
Expressing optimism over the initiative, Bista said the committee’s work would provide fresh momentum towards addressing the concerns of the region and added that the Gorkha community could expect a solution that goes beyond its previous expectations.
