With Hill Politics Churning, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Meets Behind Closed Doors With GTA Chairman Anit Thapa
Anit Thapa, the head of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), met with Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, and they spoke about a number of concerns pertaining to the development of the Darjeeling Hills. Senior minister Aroop Biswas, who oversees Hill matters for the TMC, attended the 45-minute closed-door meeting in the state assembly’s chief minister’s chamber.
In relation to the Hills’ development, he added, “we discussed a number of topics, including the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) scheme and the granting of land rights to those residing in tea and cinchona plantations.”
According to Thapa, he asked the CM to create a separate primary education board for the region that is under the GTA’s control. The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) withdrew from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) last month, citing unfulfilled promises, which gave rise to recent political turbulence in the Hills.
Following protracted turmoil in search of an independent Gorkhaland state, a tripartite deal was made in July 2011 between the GJM and the Union and West Bengal governments, creating the GTA, a semi-autonomous entity, to manage Darjeeling Hills. Gorkhaland demands have been rekindled by GJM leader Bimal Gurung, Ajoy Edwards of the Hamro Party, and Binay Tamang, who left the TMC to rejoin the GJM.
The trio established Bharatiya Gorkha Swabhiman Sangharsh Manch as their platform and committed to fighting for the ambitions of the Hills’ residents, alleging that the GTA has failed to meet them. Political parties promised the populace a separate Gorkhaland state and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule, which grants autonomy to a tribally inhabited region. Over the years, the picturesque Darjeeling, frequently referred to as the queen of the hills, has been the scene of several agitations.
GNLF leader Subhash Ghisingh started the Gorkhaland statehood movement in 1986, despite the fact that the region’s quest for independence from West Bengal dates back more than a century.
The violent uprising resulted in nearly 1,200 fatalities and was put to an end in 1988 with the establishment of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, which ruled the hills with some autonomy until 2011.
The GTA was created after Gurung stirred things up again. Later, more violent protests were also seen; the most recent of these was in 2017.
News Mania Desk
