GJM backs permanent political solution, warns 'back out' if it fails

Darjeeling, Oct. 8 -- After meeting with a committee led by the Interlocutor on the Gorkha impasse, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) General Secretary Roshan Giri stated that they were optimistic that the permanent political solution would take shape after this Government of India constituted committee submits its report to the Union Home Ministry. "If it fails to emerge, we will back out," cautioned Giri.

A five-member GJM team led by president Bimal Gurung met the committee at a private hotel, in Darjeeling, on Thursday. "The meeting was very positive. We have tabled our proposals before the committee, including the inclusion of 396 mouzas in the PPS arrangement, along with the inclusion of 11 Gorkha communities in the Scheduled Tribe list," stated Gurung.

Adding to this, Giri stated: "The arrangement should enjoy constitutional guarantee and incorporate 396 mouzas of Terai and Dooars. When districts can be incorporated into the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), we are just asking for 396 mouzas. The 11 Gorkha sub-communities will also be accorded ST status as before 1930 all enjoyed Hill Tribe status in the Darjeeling Hills. The PPS arrangement should also enjoy legislative, executive and financial powers."

Giri stated that this committee constituted by the Government of India is a high level committee consisting of Joint Secretary, Government of India; Home Secretary, Government of West Bengal and Interlocutor Pankaj Kumar Singh. The committee would be visiting Terai and Dooars after visiting the Hills.

On August 22, 2026, Union Home minister Amit Shah had set the permanent political solution (PPS) ball rolling with a tripartite meeting in Siliguri. Following the meeting, a Union Home Ministry release had announced that a committee headed by Pankaj Kumar Singh, former Deputy National Security Adviser and the current interlocutor, would be constituted to finalise the modalities and details of the proposed agreement for the permanent political solution.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.