Raniganj, December 21: A crucial fourth round of tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue begin here on Monday even as West Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee ruled out ceding a separate state.
The talks will be held between the Centre, represented by Home Seceretary GK Pillai, Chief Secretary of West Bengal government and the representatives of Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha.
In the last meeting held in August, the Centre had agreed to abolish Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and work for the setting up of an alternative administrative frame work to replace it. The meeting had also decided on the appointment of an interlocutor to carry forward the discussions.
Bhattacharjee on Sunday said his government was in no mood to concede a separate Gorkhaland as the common people there “will not be benefited by any means”.
“The common people in the Darjeeling hills will suffer in such a small state. They will not be benefited by any means,” Bhattacharjee told a meeting, organised by CPI(M)’s trade union body CITU, here.
“And for this reason we are against the creation of Gorkhaland carving out northern part of West Bengal,” he said.
Claiming that the Trinamool Congress was ambiguous on such separatist movements, Bhattacharjee said TC should make its stand clear on the issue of Gorkhaland.
On the other hand, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that the issue could be resolved through dialogue and warned that if the GJM leadership stuck to its demand for a separate state, the situation might turn “critical”.
The GJM responding to the appeal by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, yesterday decided to “relax” the indefinite hunger strike in Darjeeling, for creating a conducive atmosphere for Monday’s tripartite talks.
—Agencies