Bengal govt absent from Gorkha talks, Centre tells Lok Sabha
Centre says Bengal skipped two tripartite meets, gave little input in one; interlocutor appointed to engage Gorkha groups on pending issues
New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) There was “no representation” from the government of West Bengal in two tripartite meetings and no “substantial representation” in one meeting on issues concerning the Gorkha community, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Replying to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Bapi Haldar, who asked whether the appointment of a Central interlocutor for a “permanent political solution” to Gorkha issues was made “without prior consultation with the West Bengal government”, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai outlined the developments.
Rai said the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed following the signing of the 2011 tripartite agreement between the government of India, the West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha.
However, in July 2017, all elected members of the GTA resigned, he said.
“In view of the non-existence of elected members in the GTA and long and repeated requests for dialogue by the Gorkha leaders, three tripartite meetings were convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs on October 7, 2020, October 12, 2021, and April 3, 2025,” Rai said.
“There was no representation from the government of West Bengal in two tripartite meetings and no substantial representation in one meeting.
“Thereafter, the government of India appointed an interlocutor to hold constructive dialogues with the various stakeholders, including representatives of Gorkha organisations, on issues related to Gorkhas in the Darjeeling Hills, and the Terai and Dooars regions of Darjeeling district in West Bengal,” Rai said.
The minister added that the “period of appointment of the interlocutor is one year”.
Listing the terms of reference, the reply said the interlocutor will “undertake constructive dialogue with the various stakeholders, and suggest measures to resolve the issues and a roadmap in this regard”, besides holding discussions with the stakeholders in the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars regions.
It added that the interlocutor will “recommend measures for socio-economic upliftment, cultural recognition, and preservation of cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region, and address their aspirations within the Constitutional framework”. PTI