A high-level probe was ordered into the violence in the hill-town of Darjeeling in West Bengal and a compensation was announced for the families of those killed after the second round of meetings between hill parties and the West Bengal government. Darjeeling has been in a state of lockdown for a little under 90 days , and a resolution to the impasse was not reached at the meeting.
“The next round of meeting will be on the 16th of October at the State Secretariat. The issue of a tripartite meeting with the central government was raised and will be discussed then”, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She also categorically mentioned that tripartite talks were not possible in the present scenario.
The hill leaders presented a 17-point demand to the government which included a high-level probe, demand for a tripartite meeting and the removal of the gag order on the local media.
“We will speak with the other parties and decide upon the strike”, said outsted GJM leader Binay Tamang, after the meeting.
Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa, both outsted from the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha by party chief Bimal Gurung, said they attended the meeting as representatives of the GJM.
Unlike last time, the demand for a separate statehood for Gorkhaland was not discussed in today’s meeting. After an initial denial to participate in the meeting, GJM sent a seven-member delegation to the meeting led by GJM MLA Amar Singh Rai.
Leaders from four hill parties, including GJM, met with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday with the request to hold tripartite talks.
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