Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday appealed to the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and other stakeholders to call off the hunger strike and also withdraw the bandh call, allowing normalcy to return to Darjeeling.
Finding a solution
Mr. Singh said this would help create an atmosphere for finding a solution to the current crisis. Following a meeting with a delegation of Gorkhaland movement leaders, the Minister also appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to initiate a dialogue with the GJM and other stakeholders. Darjeeling MP S.S. Ahluwalia was present at the meeting.
The delegation submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Home Minister.
“The GJM has called for an indefinite strike in the Darjeeling hills from June 12, demanding a separate State of Gorkhaland. I am concerned about the developments in Darjeeling, the loss of valuable lives and the sufferings of people over the past 60 days, which pains me immensely,” said Mr. Singh. The Minister said violence could never be a solution to any problem, adding, “In a democracy, solutions are always found through restraint, mutual dialogue and within the legal ambit…we all are aware of the strategic importance of the locality and the challenges that we face in the region,” he said, adding that Mr. Ahluwalia had been informing him of the developments regularly.