Gorkha representatives to hold tripartite talks with central government officials

NEW DELHI - A seven-member delegation of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) will represent the Hill community at the fifth round of tripartite talks with the central officials here today.

West Bengal State Urban Development Minister Ashok Bhattacharya will preside over the meeting. The GJM representatives will be led by General Secretary Roshan Giri.arka Bahadur Chettri, a GJM spokesperson, said their demand was not aimed at dividing the Hill and Bengali communities.

“My final message will be that our demand is a constitutional and democratic one, a non-violent one, perfectly within the framework of the Constitution. We do not want any misunderstanding between the two communities. In fact, our demand is a political one. It has nothing to do with the two societies. They should remain together. They should understand how this community has been deprived and they have every right to demand,” said Chettri.

The Gorkhaland Movement has taken a different turn after the GJM proposed the establishment of an interim council till December 31, 2011, as a precursor to the creation of a separate Gorkhaland state.

The Gorkhaland Regional Authority seeks to have legislative powers on matters such as town and country planning, culture and mining of certain minerals.

The Gorkha population in West Bengal is estimated to be around a million. (ANI)