Gorkhaland Agitation

The most upfront on this issue is GJM chief Bimal Gurung, who said that for the sake of the Gorkha community's interest the separate Gorkhaland statehood is necessary

After talks between West Bengal government and the Darjeeling hill parties failed for the second time to resolve the onoging indefinite shutdown in the hills, the Mamata Banerjee led government revived the Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) and appointed rebel Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Binay Tamang as its chairperson.The GTA was formed in 2011 after a tri-partite agreement between the Centre, the state government and the hill parties which had administrative powers to govern the hills in northern West Bengal. However, all the 45 elected members of the GTA, including its then chairman and GJM supremo, Bimal Gurung, resigned from the body in June this year after the call for a separate state of Gorkhaland gained momentum.In effect, this led to the GTA becoming non-functional for nearly three months and no development agenda could be taken up. Following the mass resignation, Barun Roy, acting chairman of North Bengal Development Department and commissioner of the ...

Factionalism is nothing new in Darjeeling as demand for a separate state was first raised in 1907

The Gorkhaland movement, which gathered steam after all the major hill parties united for the cause, seems to be ebbing away. In a major development, factionalism within the largest party in the Darjeeling hills, has surfaced which, the hill leaders think will weaken the call for a separate statehood.A faction within the Gorkhaland Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the largest party in the hills, led by party convenor, Binay Tamang, has called off the indefinite shutdown. Soon, Roshan Giri, the party's general secretary clarified that the GJM has not called for lifting the shutdown.The development follows after the state's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, met leaders from GJM, Gorkhaland National Liberation Front (GNLF) and Jan Andolan Party (JAP) at the state secretariat on August 29, initiating dialogues to restore peace and normalcy to the hills."The bandh is being suspended to honour the state government's response to having dialogues. The chief minister is scheduled to have another meeting .

He appealed to leaders to call off indefinite shutdown in Darjeeling, which entered 60th day today

Activists also took out a rally and raised slogans in support of Gorkhaland

As Darjeeling enters its 50th day of continuous shutdown, its economy cripples reeling under a loss of atleast Rs. 400 crore which is borne by the tea and tourism sector, with fear that it may go upward shortly in case the Gorkhaland agitation continues to wreak havoc on the local economy.The loss to the state government's exchequer is yet to be calculated. Estimates state that over 80 per cent of the population in the Darjeeling belt is dependent on these two sectors which contribute over 90 per cent to the region's earnings.So long, the tea sector, which has lost its entire second flush as a result of the shutdown has lost Rs. 200 crore off its Rs. 500 crore annual earnings and revenue from future harvests is also under question."There has been a direct impact of Rs. 200 crore on the tea sector. But most importantly, even when production commences, it will take time to prune the bushes and the quality will also suffer", Binod Mohan, chairman of the Darjeeling Tea Association ...