Mamata calls for an all-party meet on 29 August to resolve the impasse in the hills

After a spate of bomb blasts in hills of north Bengal, it seems every side is more conducive to talk it out.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) had already urged the West Bengal government to initiate a dialogue to resolve the impasse and chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called for all parties to sit down together. Now major political parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress have agreed to join the meeting. Some also want the state government to coordinate with the Centre for a tripartite agreement.

“State government has unnecessarily wasted time and delayed the process of organising a tripartite meeting with the Centre to resolve the impasse in Darjeeling," CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said. We will urge them to organise the tripartite meeting as early as possible as the situation in the hills has worsened.

He, however, added that his party was yet to receive an invite for the all-party meet scheduled on 29 August.

Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said the party's state unit President Adhir Chowdhury has already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take steps to resolve the situation. "Although it’s late, it is necessary that all parties discuss this and take a positive step,” Mannan said.

GJM Thursday released a letter from party chief Bimal Gurung to CM Banerjee urging her to initiate a dialogue. Banerjee though denied receiving the letter.

On Friday, a Gorkhaland Coordination Committee meeting was held, where till 5 PM the members of the committee had not decided whether they would join the all party meeting to be held on 29 August at Nabanna.

A section of leaders, mainly from Jan Andolan Party (JAP) and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), have decided to join the meeting. GJM, however, is yet to decide.

“It is still early to comment anything whether as a member of the committee we are joining the meeting or not, but I personally feel that we should,” JAP leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri said.

“It is too early to comment now. Let us finish our meeting and then we will brief the media,” a senior GNLF leader said.

On Tuesday Mamata Banerjee said that she had received a letter from the GNLF and they have requested for a dialogue.

“We have already said that we are open to initiate dialogue with the members of all hill parties and responding to their letter I have decided to convene a meeting on 29 August at Nabanna. I urge all major political parties, the members of the Gorkhaland Co-ordination Committee, heads of various development boards in the hills to join the meeting at 4 PM,” Mamata said on Tuesday.