People's Democracy

DARJEELING IMBROGLIO

CPI(M) Seeks Peaceful Resolution

THE Bengal CPI(M) would welcome any meeting that would strengthen the Darjeeling hill council.  The district secretary of the Darjeeling unit of the CPI(M), Sandopal Lepcha has stated very clearly recently that the CPI(M) looked to a peaceful and amicable solution to the impasse that had overwhelmed the poll process in the hills of Darjeeling.  Lepcha spoke of discussions as a way out of the Darjeeling imbroglio.

Sandopal Lepcha said that the CPI(M) had spoken about the constitutional recognition of the hill council as a means of strengthening it as an institution.  The CPI(M) is also in favour of more power, especially legislative power, in the hands of the hill council. 

The Bengal CPI(M), however, strongly condemns the threats that GNLF leader Subhas Ghising has issued about creating law and order problems.  The CPI(M) especially opposes the call given by Ghising for making Darjeeling a state separate from India.

Lepcha said further that the Darjeeling unit of the CPI(M) had long called for the economic, cultural, social, and linguistic development of the hill areas of the Darjeeling district, but within the state of Bengal.  It had also been vocal about the development of the Gorkhas per se. 

Sandopal Lepcha was of the firm opinion that it would devolve on the union and the state governments to decide under which schedule or article of the constitution the hill council would be recognised.  It was wrong of Ghising to try to divide the people and to confuse them on this sensitive issue.

Elsewhere, GNLF legislator Shanta Chhteri has iterated the public position of the GNLF in support of a ‘Gorkhaland,’ demanding in the process the inclusion of both Siliguri town and of the dooars (foothills) area in the hill council.

Urban development minister of the Bengal Left Front government, Ashok Bhattacharya has already noted that the area under the hill council has been decided upon based on the tripartite agreement of 1988 and that there was no scope for fresh efforts on the issue any longer. (BP)