Darjeeling MP Raju Bista met Union home minister Amit Shah yesterday during the ongoing Parliament session, urging him to expedite tripartite talks for a resolution to the longstanding political issues of the Hills.
Following the meeting, Mr Bista took to social media to inform his followers: “All formalities have been completed, and the tripartite talks will be called any day soon.”
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Apart from the political issue, Mr Bista also discussed other key concerns related to the region and his parliamentary constituency.
He reaffirmed the BJP-led central government’s commitment to justice for the people of Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “We can expect good news soon,” he stated.
In a significant development, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) president Mann Ghising recently urged MP Raju Bista to include renowned educationist and intellectual Dr Mahendra P Lama in any upcoming discussions convened by the Union home ministry. Mr Ghising formally requested that Lama be recognised as a key stakeholder in the Gorkha issue.
Dr Lama, a respected academic, had previously contested the Darjeeling parliamentary seat as an Independent candidate.
Meanwhile, as Mr Bista announced the likelihood of a tripartite meeting, GNLF secretary general and Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba on a BJP ticket took the matter a step further by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged the immediate resumption of talks for a permanent political solution (PPS) to the long-pending Gorkha issue.
Mr Zimba’s letter carried a strong warning: “The Gorkhas are not only losing hope in the BJP government, but more dangerously, they are also losing patience. Their trust, built over years, is now hanging by a fragile thread.”
Highlighting the strategic vulnerability of the region, he further cautioned: “The Darjeeling Hills and its adjoining regions—given their sensitive geopolitical location—are slowly turning into a hub for suspicious forces and elements. The lack of political resolution has created an alarming vacuum, which is now being exploited. This is a matter of utmost national concern.”
With mounting pressure from regional leaders and stakeholders, all eyes are now on the central government’s next move regarding the tripartite talks.
