NDTV Correspondent
Saturday, June 14, 2008 (Darjeeling)
In the mid eighties, when the issue of Gorkhaland first came up, it transformed Darjeeling, one of India's biggest tourist destinations into a dysfunctional and tense town.
Today, the situation is much the same and the deadlock remains the same.
The turmoil over the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state has now shifted to Kolkata. The Centre on Saturday agreed to talk to the Gorkhas on anything but Gorkhaland.
''There is no question of considering statehood, if they want to come to talks, we will entertain them but without any conditions,'' said Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister.
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha is not about to give up on its main demand.
''They want a tripartite meeting with the Centre participating. The agitation will resume from Tuesday, June 17,'' said Bimal Gurung, leader, Gorkha Janamukti Morcha.
The Left Front on Saturday said it was united on the issue and ruled out inviting the Gorkha leader to the all party meeting.
''Bimal Gurung doesn't have a political party, this meeting is of political parties so the question raised of his invitation has been ruled out,'' said Biman Basu, chairman, Left Front.
Troubled times for Brand Buddha, Singur, Nandigram, Rizwanur and now Gorkhaland, the last issue promises to be a prolonged one with Gurung preparing for an intensified agitation, a throw back many feel to the mood of the eighties.
At a meeting earlier on Saturday, the Left front had buried its differences over the Darjeeling crisis and asked Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to persuade Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung to come for talks on June 18.
But they have ruled out the Gorkha leader's inclusion in the all party meeting saying his group is not a political party.
At a meeting on the Gorkhaland crisis in Darjeeling, the Left front said it is united on the issue.
The group had also said earlier that it will relax the bandh in Siliguri, which has been slowly returning to normal.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had however rejected calls by the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya for talks, insisting Gorkhaland is a political issue and needs to be resolved politically.
They want tri-partite talks between the Centre, the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to solve the crisis in Darjeeling.
