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Pranab warns Gorkha leaders before talks
The Gorkhaland crisis could turn critical if the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) stuck to its ways in their demand for a separate state, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.
The Gorkhaland crisis could turn critical if the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) stuck to its ways in their demand for a separate state, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.
“The issue could be solved through dialogue. I don’t think there’s any problem that can’t be resolved through discussion,” said Mukherjee after a meeting with Central Excise and Customs officials in Kolkata.
He was in the city on the eve of the tripartite talks — between the Centre, the state government and the GJM — over the issue of Gorkhaland. “If people are arrogant about their demand and are not flexible enough, then the situation can go critical,” he said.
Mukherjee, however, expressed confidence that following an interaction between Union Home minister P. Chidambaram and the GJM leadership the problem “could be resolved through discussion.”
Responding to Chidambaram’s request, the GJM leadership relaxed the indefinite hunger strike in Darjeeling since Saturday, in a bid to create a more favourable atmosphere for Monday's tripartite talks.
On Sunday, all three parties involved in the talks expressed optimism regarding the outcome of the fourth round of tripartite talks, to be held at Darjeeling’s Mayfair Hotel on Monday.
As the Central and State team reached in Darjeeling on Sunday, a 16-member team, representing the GJM in attend Monday’s talks sat for a meeting with GJM president Bimal Gurung to chalk out strategies.
Led by Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, the Central team included Joint Secretary-Home Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Special Secretary-Home Anita Chowdhury, deputy secretary-home P.N. Saxena and Intelligence Bureau director Rajiv Mathur.
West Bengal chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty, home secretary Ardhendu Sen, home department under secretary M.K. Gandhi and Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh represent the state government.
While Lieutenant General (retired) Vijay Madan would be the interlocutor, along with Jalpaiguri divisional commissioner A.K. Singh, Darjeeling district magistrate Surendra Gupta and Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council administrator B.L. Meena would also be present.
(With Agency Inputs)
