The Bimal Gurung faction of the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha has invited a representative each of the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) and the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM) to join talks called by the Centre to discuss “issues related to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.”

Union Home Ministry issues ‘corrigendum’

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The union home ministry has called the meeting for 7 October and has also invited state government officials, apart from the Morcha. However, while the invitation letter sent earlier said talks would be held for “issues related to Gorkhaland,” a purported corrigendum issued by the home ministry today said the talks would be held on “issues related to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).” Today’s invitation to the two other Hill parties comes after questions were raised yesterday as to why no other political party or other stakeholders were asked to attend the meeting.

In a letter to the two political parties, Morcha leader Roshan Giri said, “This talk presents us with an opportunity for a new beginning and will help lay the foundation stone for a secure, peaceful and prosperous future for our people and the region. Given the significance of the talks, our party President Bimal Gurung feels that all Gorkhas concerned should stand on the same platform and take a united stand.”

The letter further says that they were looking forward to working together towards fulfilling their collective dreams.

Speaking on the latest development, the CPRM central committee member, Shekhar Chettri, had earlier in the day said, “The main agenda of the meeting is Gorkhaland, so we welcome it. We wanted other parties also to be part of it and Raju Bista (Darjeeling MP) had called us today, inviting us to the meeting, so as the BJP is our alliance party, we will be attending the meeting.” However, after a copy of the “corrigendum” went viral on social media, Mr Chettri, later said they will not join the talks if it were for the GTA instead of ‘Gorkhaland.’

Too early to comment: Ajoy Edwards

On the other hand, GNLF leader Ajoy Edwards said they do not want to comment much on it right now. “We have called an emergency meeting to discuss all this on 7 October, after which we will issue a statement,” he said. However, with the party meeting scheduled on the 7th, it is clear that the GNLF will not be attending the Delhi meeting.

BJP has no value for Gorkhas: Anit Thapa

“Everyone was happy and welcomed the meeting that was to be held as it was a meeting on Gorkhaland. But the way they changed the subject to issues of the GTA, they have once again fooled the people here and humiliated them. They did this out of pressure from their Bengal unit, but it shows that they have no value for the Gorkhas. It was just an election stunt and no matter what pressure was created on them they would not have changed their stance,” said the leader of another faction of the Morcha, Anit Thapa.

BJP fooling people: Binny Sharma

Trinamul Congress leader in the Hills, Binny Sharma, said today’s development is a clear indication that the BJP has made a fool of the people here again. “They will never fulfill the aspirations of the GNLF may not attend meeting; CPRM says they wont go if discussions are for GTA Gorkhas. They have changed their stance after pressure from the state BJP, showing they are not sincere towards the Gorkhas. The GTA and the state government are the ones who are working for the benefit of the people here,” he said.

CPI-M questions meeting significance

Meanwhile, the CPI-M has raised questions on the significance of the meeting called by the Centre.

According to the party, such talks will go futile if all the stakeholders are not invited.

While the Home Ministry has invited only the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha for the talks, apart from state government officials, the Bimal Gurung camp of the Morcha today invited the GNLF and the CPRM to the discussions to be held in Delhi.

“The Centre has called the meeting ahead of the elections. We want a permanent solution to the Hill issue and in view of that we believe all the stakeholders should have been invited for such talks. We do not know whether the representatives of the state government will attend the meeting. But such a meeting loses its significance if all the stakeholders are not invited,” said Darjeeling district CPI-M secretary Jibesh Sarkar.

Mr Sarkar said many political parties and organisations had significant roles to play on this issue.

“We have been demanding the highest form of regional autonomy under the constitutional framework within the state to address the issue,” he said.