Gorkhaland agreement signed today
TOI, 18 July, NEW DELHI: A tripartite agreement was on Monday signed for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling. The accord was signed by West Bengal home secretary G D Gautama, GJM's Roshan Giri and joint secretary, MHA, K K Pathak. The Centre and state government will fully back the GTA, said home minister P Chidambaram and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, after the agreement was signed.
Within a few weeks of closed-door negotiations with top leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal managed to make them sign on the dotted line of a broad-based agreement on Darjeeling, leading to the creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The new administration is vested with powers to regulate 54 subjects, unlike the 1988 creation of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council which was given control over only 19 subjects.This will be the first time that any authority outside the state gets such wide-ranging powers. Except for legislative powers, the Bimal Gurung-led GJM has managed to wrest control over all state subjects as far as Darjeeling hill area is concerned, including land, forest, education, levy of local taxes, health and tea plantation.
Among all subjects, the power to control tea plantation is the most important one. Almost all the revenue in the Darjeeling hills flows from that sector. Anyone having control over tea plantation will have control over the financial purse of the area.
The erstwhile Subhash Ghishing-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council did not have powers to regulate tea plantation and higher education among others. Police and law and order will remain a state subject.
The development is seen as a major breakthrough for chief minister Mamata Banerjee and is likely to bring peace to the volatile region. But this is something that has not gone down well with the former rulers of the state, the CPM, which alleged lack of transparency in the deal and has decided to boycott Monday's pact signing ceremony. Banerjee had invited senior leaders of CPM and other Left partners.
For the past three weeks, chief secretary of West Bengal was involved in secret parleys with Gurung and his general secretary Roshan Giri. The Centre was apprised of all developments and had agreed to the Bengal government's concessions to the new Gorkhaland administration.
Gorkhaland pact signed, Darjeeling hills get more power
CNN/IBN, July 18, Kolkata: An historic agreement creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, an autonomous body that will have greater administrative powers than the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was signed on Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram signed the tripartite agreement with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the West Bengal government in Sukna. The agreement, it is hoped, will bring peace to the restive hills after over 30 years of agitation for the creation of a separate state.
"I stand witness to a historic event when years of strife and conflict have been brought to an end. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be crossed through dialogue, through determination and through a spirit of give and take," said Chidambaram after the agreement was signed.
"Ahead of you is a stupendous task you will have to rebuild brick by brick, and when you do so, the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India would stand by you, hold your hand and support you," he told the GJM supporters.
The Central Government had earlier given its go-ahead for creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The decision was taken after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting and Chidambaram was directed to go to Kolkata to sign the agreement with the concerned parties.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with GJM president Bimal Gurung and other top party leaders on Sunday in this regard.
The Left stayed away from the event saying the deal would spark violence and pave the way for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat said the deal will spark violence and pave the way for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.
"We are not in agreement of the nature of the settlement or terms of the agreement," said Prakash Karat.
Meanwhile, a CPI(M)-backed group has called a bandh in North Bengal in protest.
Shops in Sukna on Monday remained closed and roads were empty. The bandh brought life to standstill in Jalpaiguri, Malda, North and South Dinajpur as well.
This will be the first time that any authority outside the state gets such wide-ranging powers. Except for legislative powers, the Bimal Gurung-led GJM has managed to wrest control over all state subjects as far as Darjeeling hill area is concerned, including land, forest, education, levy of local taxes, health and tea plantation.
Among all subjects, the power to control tea plantation is the most important one. Almost all the revenue in the Darjeeling hills flows from that sector. Anyone having control over tea plantation will have control over the financial purse of the area.
The erstwhile Subhash Ghishing-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council did not have powers to regulate tea plantation and higher education among others. Police and law and order will remain a state subject.
The development is seen as a major breakthrough for chief minister Mamata Banerjee and is likely to bring peace to the volatile region. But this is something that has not gone down well with the former rulers of the state, the CPM, which alleged lack of transparency in the deal and has decided to boycott Monday's pact signing ceremony. Banerjee had invited senior leaders of CPM and other Left partners.
For the past three weeks, chief secretary of West Bengal was involved in secret parleys with Gurung and his general secretary Roshan Giri. The Centre was apprised of all developments and had agreed to the Bengal government's concessions to the new Gorkhaland administration.
India signs deal to end ethnic unrest in tea hills
TOI, July 18, NEW DELHI — India was to sign a deal Monday to grant autonomy to an ethnic group in the Himalayan tea-growing area of Darjeeling in an effort to end decades of often-violent demands for a homeland.The agreement between the federal government, the state of West Bengal in India's east and a political group leading the Gorkha protesters was to be inked later Monday in a village about 600 kilometres (380 miles) from Kolkata.
Indian Gorkhas, who are ethnic Nepalese, have led a violent campaign for the past two decades demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland carved from West Bengal's hilly district of Darjeeling.
The newly created Gorkhaland Territorial Administration will have powers to manage public works, social welfare, health and forests in administrative areas under its mandate.
"The agreement will end the violence in the hills of Darjeeling and pave the way for development," said newly elected West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
"We have plans to develop the hills of Darjeeling and its surrounding areas on the lines of Switzerland," she added, repeating a pledge made on the campaign trail earlier this year.
The tea-growing hills of Darjeeling has been a hotbed of protests since the 1980s when the Gorkha National Liberation Front rose in revolt against the West Bengal government.
A Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was created in 1988 under then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to settle the demands for independence, but support for this organisation broke down.
Bimal Gurung formed the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha pressure group in 2007 and rebelled against the Council and the state government.
Gorkhaland pact signed, Darjeeling hills get more power
CNN-IBN, Kolkata: An historic agreement creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, an autonomous body that will have greater administrative powers than the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was signed on Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram signed the tripartite agreement with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the West Bengal government in Sukna. The agreement, it is hoped, will bring peace to the restive hills after over 30 years of agitation for the creation of a separate state.
"I stand witness to a historic event when years of strife and conflict have been brought to an end. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be crossed through dialogue, through determination and through a spirit of give and take," said Chidambaram after the agreement was signed.
"Ahead of you is a stupendous task you will have to rebuild brick by brick, and when you do so, the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India would stand by you, hold your hand and support you," he told the GJM supporters.
The Central Government had earlier given its go-ahead for creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The decision was taken after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting and Chidambaram was directed to go to Kolkata to sign the agreement with the concerned parties.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with GJM president Bimal Gurung and other top party leaders on Sunday in this regard.
The Left stayed away from the event saying the deal would spark violence and pave the way for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat said the deal will spark violence and pave the way for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.
"We are not in agreement of the nature of the settlement or terms of the agreement," said Prakash Karat.
Meanwhile, a CPI(M)-backed group has called a bandh in North Bengal in protest.
Shops in Sukna on Monday remained closed and roads were empty. The bandh brought life to standstill in Jalpaiguri, Malda, North and South Dinajpur as well.
Darjeeling tripartite pact signed for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
IANS, Jul 18, 2011, SUKNA, WEST BENGAL: A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was signed on Monday between the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal and central governments.
At the core of the pact is the formation of a new autonomous, elected Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), a hill council armed with more powers than its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
Terming the agreement as the new beginning for Darjeeling, union home minister P Chidambaram said the central government will keep a watch on the path of the GTA and offer all kinds of help to the newly-formed administrative body.
"This is a historic day. This is a day to step into the future and a new beginning for Darjeeling. We know you had faced lot of problems. This is a time to keep aside those sufferings and look into the future. You (GJM leadership) have to show that you can govern," said Chidambaram at the signing function in Pintail village in Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling district.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lauded the accord and ruled out any possibility of the division of Bengal.
"After fighting for a long time, here comes the environment of peace and harmony. We will give full cooperation to the GTA. Darjeeling is heart of the state. Darjeeling and Siliguri are like two sisters. They cannot be separated from each other," she said.
Officers from the central and state governments and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri signed the accord.
Tripartite accord for Darjeeling hill council signed
PTI, SUKNA (WEST BENGAL), July 18, 2011: The historic tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was on Monday signed to resolve the vexed Darjeeling problem amidst protests and bandhs in the Terai and Dooars areas.
The agreement was signed by West Bengal Home Secretary G D Gautama, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary K.K.Pathak and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri at the Pintail village, about 8 km from Siliguri.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the BJP MP from Darjeeling Jaswant Singh were present at the accord-signing ceremony, among others.
Describing the occasion as ‘historic,’ Mr. Chidambaram said the Centre and the state government would fully back the GTA.
“Both the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India will stand by you and hold your hand. The task before you is stupendous. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be solved through dialogue, determination and spirit of give and take,” the Home Minister said.
Pointing out that the area under the GTA jurisdiction had a pluralistic society, he said, “There will be many races, different languages, different cultures. But we are one people. The new administration must respect the plurality of the region.”
Categorically ruling out any division of the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the new memorandum of agreement sought to confer to the GTA maximum possible autonomy within the constitutional framework and within various state and central acts.
Ms. Banerjee assured a complete economic package to the GTA which, she said, would function within West Bengal.
The Amra Bangali, Jana Jagaran and Jaja Chetana, backed by the Adivasi Bikash Parishad, have called a 48-hour bandh in the Terai and Dooars in the plains area against the signing of the treaty.
The chief minister said the newly-formed GTA, to have 45 members, will hold elections within six months.
“The election process will start shortly,” she said.
Categorically stating that the GTA will have jurisdiction in the three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, she said, “There has been a hue and cry over the formation of a panel to explore demand for inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas of Dooars and Terai in the GTA. Many people do not want the Darjeeling problem to be resolved.”
Lashing out at the CPI(M) and some regional outfits for objecting to the nomenclature of the GTA, she said, “They are indulging in politics over the name. They are indulging in false propaganda to create confusion among the people. They could not do anything (to resolve the Darjeeling problem) in the last 35 years. Let us do our work.”
Without naming the CPI(M), she said, “They are trying to pit Bengalis against the hill people. But this will not happen. We will remain together. Darjeeling is not outside Bengal.”
In a word of advice to the GJM leadership, Mr. Chidambarm said, “Your task is stupendous. Your subjects cover an entire range of development.”
The subjects under the GTA included, among other things, agriculture, irrigation, food, industry, education, women and child development, water resources, land and land revenue, municipalities, panchayats, urban development, public health and tourism, he said, adding “everything that concerns people are given to you.”
PTI, Sukna, 18 July:A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was signed Monday between the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal and central governments. At the core of the pact is the formation of a new autonomous elected Hill Council Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which is Stage set for signing of historic Gorkhaland pact armed with more powers as compared to its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
At 2.45 pm Union Home MInister, P Chidambaram, Chief MInister Mamata Banerjee and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha president, Bimal Gurung, arrived at Pintail village in Drjeeling district. The memorandum of agreement was signed at 3.35 pm.
Thousands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters gathered at the Pintal Village, near Sukna, to witness and celebrate the signing of the tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Clad in traditional dresses, the supporters including women gathered under the tents erected on the sprawling ground near the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council bungalow amidst tight security.
Activists of the GJM women's wing, Gorkha Nari Morcha, took to the stage, dancing and singing to celebrate the occasion.
Many of the supporters were heard shouting slogans like, 'Mamata Banerjee zindabad,' and 'Bimal Gurung zindabad,' while shouts of 'we want Gorkhaland,' 'we want a separate state,' were also heard.
"This is a turning point in our movement and not a permanent settlement. This is only a temporary settlement to address the basic problem. The separate state issue must not be a closed chapter," P Arjun, a member of the GJM think tank 16-member Study Forum, told PTI.
Describing the signing of the agreement as the result of a reciprocal attitude on both sides, Arjun, a former member of the West Bengal Civil Service, said, "this attitude, which is demonstrated by Mamata Banerjee, was not displayed by the previous Left Front government in finding out a solution."
Arjun said GJM president Bimal Gurung would not hold any position in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
A section of the Gorkha people, however, said it would have been better if the agreement was signed after demarcation of the boundaries of the GTA. The GJM has been demanding inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas of the Dooars and Terai under the GTA.
GTA treaty small step, ultimate aim Gorkhaland: Asha Gurung
PTI, Sukna, July 18, 2011: The tripartite agreement for formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is just a 'small step' and the ultimate aim is a separate state of Gorkhaland, a top leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha said on Monday. The chief of the Gorkha Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of the GJM, Asha Gurung, said she was happy at the inclusion of the word 'Gorkhaland' in the GTA agreement, but the ultimate aim is to achieve a state of Gorkhaland.
"We are happy at the stand taken by (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee. The previous Left Front government did not allow the inclusion of the name Gorkhaland,'" Gurung, wife of GJM chief Bimal Gurung, said.
She said those in Dooars and Terai agitating against inclusion of those areas under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration comprised only 15 % of the population in those areas.
"They are being enticed by the CPI-M (into the agitation)," she said.
Darjeeling hills happy, but seek Gorkha area demarcation
Pradipta Tapadar , Sukna (West Bengal), July 18 : An elated Roshan Gurung, 60, who runs a teashop, was Monday looking forward to peace, development and that crucial stamp of "identity" ahead of a historic tripartite agreement for the Darjeeling hills.
"We are very happy about the agreement. We suffer from identity crisis. I hope this treaty will bring peace and development in the hills," said Gurung, a Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporter in Darjeeling district.
However, he and many others wished the demarcation of Gorkha majority areas in the Terai plains and Dooars region - which are also part of Darjeeling, besides the hills - had been carried out before the treaty was signed here between the GJM, the West Bengal government and New Delhi.
Gorkhas are the dominant ethnic community in the Darjeeling hills where a lot of people were euphoric Monday, hoping the treaty would solve their problems of unemployment, underdevelopment and poverty.
"We are happy because this treaty means more development and employment. There has been no basic teacher recruitment since 2000. We are unemployed even after receiving teacher's training," said B.M. Bariely, president of the Unemployed Trained Basic Teacher's Association.
"We want better education for our children. This agreement is key to that dream. We don't want tension in the hills. We want peace and a better future," said Binod Rai.
At the core of the Darjeeling agreement is the formation of a new autonomous elected Hill Council Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which is armed with more powers compared to its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
A nine-member high powered committee, comprising four members each from GJM and the state government and one from the central government, will be formed to study the GJM's demand on demarcating Gorkha majority areas in the Terai (the plains of Darjeeling district) and Dooars (foothills covering parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts) for inclusion in the council.
"What if they (state and central governments) don't give us any area after the demarcation committee in case of a report against area demarcation? The treaty should have been signed after area demarcation was done," said Sujan Rai, an ex-serviceman.
He took active part in the agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of Darjeeling and parts of neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.
The Darjeeling hills have periodically been on the boil for about three decades after the demand for Gorkhaland covering parts of northern Bengal gained momentum during the 1980s.
"We want nothing less than Gorkhaland. This treaty is a temporary solution. We want our own identity. We are not outsiders. We are Indians. Only a separate state will solve the problem," said Ramesh Rai, a small-time businessman in the Darjeeling district hills that comprises the three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
But by and large there was a sense of hope. The GJM leadership seemed very happy.
"I am certain this agreement will have a positive impact in the region. The DGHC (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) had no functional powers but this body will fulfil the demand of greater autonomy to the region," said Urmila Rumaba, core committee member of the GJM's Nari Morcha.
The Gorkhaland movement took off under the leadership of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supremo Subash Ghising. But the reins of the movement were taken over by the Bimal Gurung-led GJM, which forced Ghising out of the hills.
The three-decade long anti-government protests have witnessed killings, police crackdowns, long shutdowns which severely impacted the hill' economic mainstays - tea, timber and tourism. The people are hoping this will be reversed.
"We want development of the hills, both in terms of the tourism business and tea gardens. We are happy that this agreement will usher in the long pending development of the hills," said Romila Thapa, a resident of the area.
गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दाःमोर्चाले छोड्यो,क्रामाकपाले लियोWithin a few weeks of closed-door negotiations with top leaders of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal managed to make them sign on the dotted line of a broad-based agreement on Darjeeling, leading to the creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The new administration is vested with powers to regulate 54 subjects, unlike the 1988 creation of Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council which was given control over only 19 subjects.This will be the first time that any authority outside the state gets such wide-ranging powers. Except for legislative powers, the Bimal Gurung-led GJM has managed to wrest control over all state subjects as far as Darjeeling hill area is concerned, including land, forest, education, levy of local taxes, health and tea plantation.
Among all subjects, the power to control tea plantation is the most important one. Almost all the revenue in the Darjeeling hills flows from that sector. Anyone having control over tea plantation will have control over the financial purse of the area.
The erstwhile Subhash Ghishing-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council did not have powers to regulate tea plantation and higher education among others. Police and law and order will remain a state subject.
The development is seen as a major breakthrough for chief minister Mamata Banerjee and is likely to bring peace to the volatile region. But this is something that has not gone down well with the former rulers of the state, the CPM, which alleged lack of transparency in the deal and has decided to boycott Monday's pact signing ceremony. Banerjee had invited senior leaders of CPM and other Left partners.
For the past three weeks, chief secretary of West Bengal was involved in secret parleys with Gurung and his general secretary Roshan Giri. The Centre was apprised of all developments and had agreed to the Bengal government's concessions to the new Gorkhaland administration.
Gorkhaland pact signed, Darjeeling hills get more power
CNN/IBN, July 18, Kolkata: An historic agreement creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, an autonomous body that will have greater administrative powers than the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was signed on Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram signed the tripartite agreement with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the West Bengal government in Sukna. The agreement, it is hoped, will bring peace to the restive hills after over 30 years of agitation for the creation of a separate state.
"I stand witness to a historic event when years of strife and conflict have been brought to an end. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be crossed through dialogue, through determination and through a spirit of give and take," said Chidambaram after the agreement was signed.
"Ahead of you is a stupendous task you will have to rebuild brick by brick, and when you do so, the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India would stand by you, hold your hand and support you," he told the GJM supporters.
The Central Government had earlier given its go-ahead for creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The decision was taken after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting and Chidambaram was directed to go to Kolkata to sign the agreement with the concerned parties.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with GJM president Bimal Gurung and other top party leaders on Sunday in this regard.
The Left stayed away from the event saying the deal would spark violence and pave the way for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat said the deal will spark violence and pave the way for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.
"We are not in agreement of the nature of the settlement or terms of the agreement," said Prakash Karat.
Meanwhile, a CPI(M)-backed group has called a bandh in North Bengal in protest.
Shops in Sukna on Monday remained closed and roads were empty. The bandh brought life to standstill in Jalpaiguri, Malda, North and South Dinajpur as well.
This will be the first time that any authority outside the state gets such wide-ranging powers. Except for legislative powers, the Bimal Gurung-led GJM has managed to wrest control over all state subjects as far as Darjeeling hill area is concerned, including land, forest, education, levy of local taxes, health and tea plantation.
Among all subjects, the power to control tea plantation is the most important one. Almost all the revenue in the Darjeeling hills flows from that sector. Anyone having control over tea plantation will have control over the financial purse of the area.
The erstwhile Subhash Ghishing-led Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council did not have powers to regulate tea plantation and higher education among others. Police and law and order will remain a state subject.
The development is seen as a major breakthrough for chief minister Mamata Banerjee and is likely to bring peace to the volatile region. But this is something that has not gone down well with the former rulers of the state, the CPM, which alleged lack of transparency in the deal and has decided to boycott Monday's pact signing ceremony. Banerjee had invited senior leaders of CPM and other Left partners.
For the past three weeks, chief secretary of West Bengal was involved in secret parleys with Gurung and his general secretary Roshan Giri. The Centre was apprised of all developments and had agreed to the Bengal government's concessions to the new Gorkhaland administration.
India signs deal to end ethnic unrest in tea hills
Photo: Sushanta Patronobish |
Indian Gorkhas, who are ethnic Nepalese, have led a violent campaign for the past two decades demanding the separate state of Gorkhaland carved from West Bengal's hilly district of Darjeeling.
The newly created Gorkhaland Territorial Administration will have powers to manage public works, social welfare, health and forests in administrative areas under its mandate.
"The agreement will end the violence in the hills of Darjeeling and pave the way for development," said newly elected West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
"We have plans to develop the hills of Darjeeling and its surrounding areas on the lines of Switzerland," she added, repeating a pledge made on the campaign trail earlier this year.
The tea-growing hills of Darjeeling has been a hotbed of protests since the 1980s when the Gorkha National Liberation Front rose in revolt against the West Bengal government.
A Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was created in 1988 under then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to settle the demands for independence, but support for this organisation broke down.
Bimal Gurung formed the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha pressure group in 2007 and rebelled against the Council and the state government.
Gorkhaland pact signed, Darjeeling hills get more power
CNN-IBN, Kolkata: An historic agreement creating the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, an autonomous body that will have greater administrative powers than the existing Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council was signed on Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram signed the tripartite agreement with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and the West Bengal government in Sukna. The agreement, it is hoped, will bring peace to the restive hills after over 30 years of agitation for the creation of a separate state.
"I stand witness to a historic event when years of strife and conflict have been brought to an end. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be crossed through dialogue, through determination and through a spirit of give and take," said Chidambaram after the agreement was signed.
"Ahead of you is a stupendous task you will have to rebuild brick by brick, and when you do so, the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India would stand by you, hold your hand and support you," he told the GJM supporters.
The Central Government had earlier given its go-ahead for creation of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. The decision was taken after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting and Chidambaram was directed to go to Kolkata to sign the agreement with the concerned parties.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with GJM president Bimal Gurung and other top party leaders on Sunday in this regard.
The Left stayed away from the event saying the deal would spark violence and pave the way for the formation of the separate state of Gorkhaland.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat said the deal will spark violence and pave the way for the formation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.
"We are not in agreement of the nature of the settlement or terms of the agreement," said Prakash Karat.
Meanwhile, a CPI(M)-backed group has called a bandh in North Bengal in protest.
Shops in Sukna on Monday remained closed and roads were empty. The bandh brought life to standstill in Jalpaiguri, Malda, North and South Dinajpur as well.
Darjeeling tripartite pact signed for Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
IANS, Jul 18, 2011, SUKNA, WEST BENGAL: A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was signed on Monday between the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal and central governments.
At the core of the pact is the formation of a new autonomous, elected Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), a hill council armed with more powers than its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
Terming the agreement as the new beginning for Darjeeling, union home minister P Chidambaram said the central government will keep a watch on the path of the GTA and offer all kinds of help to the newly-formed administrative body.
"This is a historic day. This is a day to step into the future and a new beginning for Darjeeling. We know you had faced lot of problems. This is a time to keep aside those sufferings and look into the future. You (GJM leadership) have to show that you can govern," said Chidambaram at the signing function in Pintail village in Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling district.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lauded the accord and ruled out any possibility of the division of Bengal.
"After fighting for a long time, here comes the environment of peace and harmony. We will give full cooperation to the GTA. Darjeeling is heart of the state. Darjeeling and Siliguri are like two sisters. They cannot be separated from each other," she said.
Officers from the central and state governments and GJM general secretary Roshan Giri signed the accord.
Tripartite accord for Darjeeling hill council signed
PTI, SUKNA (WEST BENGAL), July 18, 2011: The historic tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was on Monday signed to resolve the vexed Darjeeling problem amidst protests and bandhs in the Terai and Dooars areas.
The agreement was signed by West Bengal Home Secretary G D Gautama, Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary K.K.Pathak and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha General Secretary Roshan Giri at the Pintail village, about 8 km from Siliguri.
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and GJM chief Bimal Gurung and the BJP MP from Darjeeling Jaswant Singh were present at the accord-signing ceremony, among others.
Describing the occasion as ‘historic,’ Mr. Chidambaram said the Centre and the state government would fully back the GTA.
“Both the Government of West Bengal and the Government of India will stand by you and hold your hand. The task before you is stupendous. There will be many hurdles, but there is no hurdle that cannot be solved through dialogue, determination and spirit of give and take,” the Home Minister said.
Pointing out that the area under the GTA jurisdiction had a pluralistic society, he said, “There will be many races, different languages, different cultures. But we are one people. The new administration must respect the plurality of the region.”
Categorically ruling out any division of the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the new memorandum of agreement sought to confer to the GTA maximum possible autonomy within the constitutional framework and within various state and central acts.
Ms. Banerjee assured a complete economic package to the GTA which, she said, would function within West Bengal.
The Amra Bangali, Jana Jagaran and Jaja Chetana, backed by the Adivasi Bikash Parishad, have called a 48-hour bandh in the Terai and Dooars in the plains area against the signing of the treaty.
The chief minister said the newly-formed GTA, to have 45 members, will hold elections within six months.
“The election process will start shortly,” she said.
Categorically stating that the GTA will have jurisdiction in the three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong, she said, “There has been a hue and cry over the formation of a panel to explore demand for inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas of Dooars and Terai in the GTA. Many people do not want the Darjeeling problem to be resolved.”
Lashing out at the CPI(M) and some regional outfits for objecting to the nomenclature of the GTA, she said, “They are indulging in politics over the name. They are indulging in false propaganda to create confusion among the people. They could not do anything (to resolve the Darjeeling problem) in the last 35 years. Let us do our work.”
Without naming the CPI(M), she said, “They are trying to pit Bengalis against the hill people. But this will not happen. We will remain together. Darjeeling is not outside Bengal.”
In a word of advice to the GJM leadership, Mr. Chidambarm said, “Your task is stupendous. Your subjects cover an entire range of development.”
The subjects under the GTA included, among other things, agriculture, irrigation, food, industry, education, women and child development, water resources, land and land revenue, municipalities, panchayats, urban development, public health and tourism, he said, adding “everything that concerns people are given to you.”
PTI, Sukna, 18 July:A tripartite agreement on the Darjeeling hills was signed Monday between the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and the West Bengal and central governments. At the core of the pact is the formation of a new autonomous elected Hill Council Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which is Stage set for signing of historic Gorkhaland pact armed with more powers as compared to its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
At 2.45 pm Union Home MInister, P Chidambaram, Chief MInister Mamata Banerjee and Gorkha Janamukti Morcha president, Bimal Gurung, arrived at Pintail village in Drjeeling district. The memorandum of agreement was signed at 3.35 pm.
Thousands of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supporters gathered at the Pintal Village, near Sukna, to witness and celebrate the signing of the tripartite agreement for the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Clad in traditional dresses, the supporters including women gathered under the tents erected on the sprawling ground near the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council bungalow amidst tight security.
Activists of the GJM women's wing, Gorkha Nari Morcha, took to the stage, dancing and singing to celebrate the occasion.
Many of the supporters were heard shouting slogans like, 'Mamata Banerjee zindabad,' and 'Bimal Gurung zindabad,' while shouts of 'we want Gorkhaland,' 'we want a separate state,' were also heard.
"This is a turning point in our movement and not a permanent settlement. This is only a temporary settlement to address the basic problem. The separate state issue must not be a closed chapter," P Arjun, a member of the GJM think tank 16-member Study Forum, told PTI.
Describing the signing of the agreement as the result of a reciprocal attitude on both sides, Arjun, a former member of the West Bengal Civil Service, said, "this attitude, which is demonstrated by Mamata Banerjee, was not displayed by the previous Left Front government in finding out a solution."
Arjun said GJM president Bimal Gurung would not hold any position in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration
A section of the Gorkha people, however, said it would have been better if the agreement was signed after demarcation of the boundaries of the GTA. The GJM has been demanding inclusion of the Gorkha-dominated areas of the Dooars and Terai under the GTA.
GTA treaty small step, ultimate aim Gorkhaland: Asha Gurung
PTI, Sukna, July 18, 2011: The tripartite agreement for formation of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration is just a 'small step' and the ultimate aim is a separate state of Gorkhaland, a top leader of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha said on Monday. The chief of the Gorkha Mahila Morcha, the women's wing of the GJM, Asha Gurung, said she was happy at the inclusion of the word 'Gorkhaland' in the GTA agreement, but the ultimate aim is to achieve a state of Gorkhaland.
"We are happy at the stand taken by (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee. The previous Left Front government did not allow the inclusion of the name Gorkhaland,'" Gurung, wife of GJM chief Bimal Gurung, said.
She said those in Dooars and Terai agitating against inclusion of those areas under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration comprised only 15 % of the population in those areas.
"They are being enticed by the CPI-M (into the agitation)," she said.
Darjeeling hills happy, but seek Gorkha area demarcation
Pradipta Tapadar , Sukna (West Bengal), July 18 : An elated Roshan Gurung, 60, who runs a teashop, was Monday looking forward to peace, development and that crucial stamp of "identity" ahead of a historic tripartite agreement for the Darjeeling hills.
"We are very happy about the agreement. We suffer from identity crisis. I hope this treaty will bring peace and development in the hills," said Gurung, a Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporter in Darjeeling district.
However, he and many others wished the demarcation of Gorkha majority areas in the Terai plains and Dooars region - which are also part of Darjeeling, besides the hills - had been carried out before the treaty was signed here between the GJM, the West Bengal government and New Delhi.
Gorkhas are the dominant ethnic community in the Darjeeling hills where a lot of people were euphoric Monday, hoping the treaty would solve their problems of unemployment, underdevelopment and poverty.
"We are happy because this treaty means more development and employment. There has been no basic teacher recruitment since 2000. We are unemployed even after receiving teacher's training," said B.M. Bariely, president of the Unemployed Trained Basic Teacher's Association.
"We want better education for our children. This agreement is key to that dream. We don't want tension in the hills. We want peace and a better future," said Binod Rai.
At the core of the Darjeeling agreement is the formation of a new autonomous elected Hill Council Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), which is armed with more powers compared to its predecessor Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) formed in the late 1980s.
A nine-member high powered committee, comprising four members each from GJM and the state government and one from the central government, will be formed to study the GJM's demand on demarcating Gorkha majority areas in the Terai (the plains of Darjeeling district) and Dooars (foothills covering parts of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts) for inclusion in the council.
"What if they (state and central governments) don't give us any area after the demarcation committee in case of a report against area demarcation? The treaty should have been signed after area demarcation was done," said Sujan Rai, an ex-serviceman.
He took active part in the agitation for a separate state of Gorkhaland to be carved out of Darjeeling and parts of neighbouring Jalpaiguri district.
The Darjeeling hills have periodically been on the boil for about three decades after the demand for Gorkhaland covering parts of northern Bengal gained momentum during the 1980s.
"We want nothing less than Gorkhaland. This treaty is a temporary solution. We want our own identity. We are not outsiders. We are Indians. Only a separate state will solve the problem," said Ramesh Rai, a small-time businessman in the Darjeeling district hills that comprises the three sub-divisions of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
But by and large there was a sense of hope. The GJM leadership seemed very happy.
"I am certain this agreement will have a positive impact in the region. The DGHC (Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council) had no functional powers but this body will fulfil the demand of greater autonomy to the region," said Urmila Rumaba, core committee member of the GJM's Nari Morcha.
The Gorkhaland movement took off under the leadership of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supremo Subash Ghising. But the reins of the movement were taken over by the Bimal Gurung-led GJM, which forced Ghising out of the hills.
The three-decade long anti-government protests have witnessed killings, police crackdowns, long shutdowns which severely impacted the hill' economic mainstays - tea, timber and tourism. The people are hoping this will be reversed.
"We want development of the hills, both in terms of the tourism business and tea gardens. We are happy that this agreement will usher in the long pending development of the hills," said Romila Thapa, a resident of the area.
- मोर्चाको समस्या समाधान गरियो, गोर्खाको होइन-क्रामाकपा
मनोज वोगटी, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ, 18 जुलाई।आन्दोलन गोर्खाल्याण्डको गरेर गोरामुमोले दागोपाप थापे जस्तो गोजमुमोले पनि जीटीए थाप्यो। मुख्य मन्त्री ममता व्यनर्जीले गृहमन्त्री पी.चिदम्बरमलाई मोर्चाले गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलन छोड़ेको अनि मोर्चाले अर्को दागोपाप नै थापेको बताएपछि स्पष्ट भयो गोर्खा जनमुक्ति मोर्चाले नैतिकरूपले गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा छोड्यो। राज्य र केन्द्रलाई मोर्चाले अब गोर्खाल्याण्डको आन्दोलन हुँदैन भन्ने विश्वास दिलाएको छ। मोर्चाले जुनदिनदेखि गोर्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा छोड़ेको छ, त्यहीँदेखि क्रामाकपाले आन्दोलन अघि बढाउनेछ-पिन्टेल भिलेजमा गोजमुमोका महासचिवले जीटीएमा हस्ताक्षर गर्दै गर्दा क्रामाकपा महासचिवले कालेबुङका पत्रकारहरूलाई यसो भनिरहेका थिए।
क्रामाकापा महासचिव तारामणि राईले भने, आजको दिनलाई मोर्चाले ऐतिहासिक दिन भनिरहेको छ। हामीले पनि आजको दिनलाई ऐतिहासिक महाधोकाकोरूपमा लिएका छौं। तिनले सोझै भने, किन भने मोर्चाले राज्य र केन्द्र सरकारको गार्खाल्याण्डको मुद्दा दबाउने षड़यन्त्रलाई पैसासिट साटेको दिन हो आज। तिनले पुरानै कुरा दोहोर्याउँदै भने, मोर्चा सरकारी प्रायोजित दल हो अनि दल नाइके पनि। विमल गुरूङले कागज नहेरि विरोध नगर्नु भनेर अनुरोध गर्छन् तर कागज भने लुकाएर राख्छन्। कागजै लुकाएपनि ममताले चिदम्बरमलाई दिएको स्पष्टिकरणले सप्ष्ट पार्यो कि मोर्चाको यात्रा यहीँसम्मको निम्ति थियो। जनता निराश हुनु हुँदैन। आन्दोलन राष्ट्रिय चिह्नारी, बङ्गालबाट मुक्ति अनि देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूलाई राजनैतिक सुरक्षा प्रदान गर्न गरिएको हो। विकासको निम्ति होइन। राज्यमा विकास गर्न कहॉं कहॉं जीटीए छ? किन पहाड़मा मात्र जीटीए? यसको एउटै उत्तर हुन्छ गोर्खाल्याण्डको आवाज दबाउनु, जसलाई मोर्चाले सफल गर्यो। मोर्चाले बिसाएको ठॉंउबाट क्रामाकपाले मुद्दालाई उठाएर अघि लानेछ। 26 जुलाईदेखि कार्यक्रम शुरू हुनेछ। तिनले ममतालाई हतार रहेको बताउँदै भने, ममताले याद राख्नुपर्छ, यो समस्या पहाड़ र मोर्चाको होइन देशभरिका गोर्खाहरूको हो। अहिलेलाई मोर्चाको समस्या समाधान गरिएको छ, गोर्खाको होइन। गोर्खाहरूको समस्यालाई लिएर अब क्रामाकपाले देशभरिका गोर्खा र सङ्गठनहरूसित मिलेर आन्दोलन गर्नेछ।
तिनले मोर्चाले जनतालाई धोकामा राख्दै पैसा कमाउने राजनीति गरेको भन्दै राज्य सरकारले तराई र डुवर्सको 18 वटा मौजा जसलाई अघिबाट नै स्वीकृति दिइसकेको थियो त्यति मात्र हाल्ने कुरा ममताले स्पष्ट गरिसकेपछि फेरि यो हाइइपावर कमिटीको नाटक किन? भन्ने प्रश्न उठाए। तिनले क्रामाकपा विकासको विरोधमा नरहेको बताउँदै विकास स्वाभाविक प्रक्रिया रहेको, जो गर्ने जिम्मा राज्यकै रहेको बताउँदै भने, भारतभरिका गोर्खाहरूको चिह्नारीको समस्यालाई पहाड़को विकासमा खॉंद्ने काम जुन गरिएको छ, यसले छुट्टैराज्य पन्थीहरूलाई सङ्गठित पार्ने काम गरेको छ। धोका भइसक्यो, हामीलाई विलाप गर्नु छैन। जनताले सहयोग गरे हामी अब आन्दोलनलाई सफलताको चुलीमा लैजानेछौं। तिनले राज्य र केन्द्रले जनतालाई बोरामा हाल्ने काम गरे पनि मोर्चाले भने बोरामा खॉंद्ने काम गरेको भन्दै मोर्चाले हस्ताक्षर गर्न अघि खेस्रा सार्वजनिक गर्ने भने पनि त्यसमा पनि ढॉंटेको बताए। तिनले भने, जनता र केही नेतालाई अंधकारमा राखेर हस्ताक्षर भयो, यसको नतिजा पाउनलाई केही समय इन्तजार गर्नुपर्छ।
यता गक्रायुमो( गणतान्त्रिक क्रान्तिकारी युवा मोर्चा)का समासचिव अरूण घतानीले मोर्चाको आन्दोलन नै प्रायोजित भएकोले पहिले जनतालाई थकाउने कार्यक्रम गरेको अनि जनता थाकेपछि घिसिङकै पथ अप्नाउँदै अर्को दागोपाप थापेको बताउँदै आन्तरिमरूपले केन्द्र र राज्यले गोर्खाल्याण्डको आवाज दबाउन अनि यसको निम्ति सङ्गठित दलहरूलाई नष्ट गर्न गोर्खा समूहबाट नै नेता बनाएर उसलाई सहयोग दिँदै सम्झौताको परिस्थिति बनाइरहेको जनाए। तिनले भने, ममतालाई 21 तारिक कोलकातामा भाषण दिनुछ र लालगढ, गोर्खाल्याण्ड, सिङ्गुरको समस्या समाधान गरेको कुरा भन्नु छ। राज्य र केन्द्रलाई एउटा दललाई किनेर भारतभरिका गोर्खाहरूको आवाज निमोठ्न सकिँदैन भन्ने जवाब दिन देशभरिबाट नै गोर्खाहरू सङ्गठित गर्दै आन्दोलन अघि बढाउन क्रामाकपाले कार्य योजना बनाइरहेको जनाएका छन्।
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