Darjeeling, Nov. 11 -- The Gorkha Youth Activist Network (GYAN) has urged the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to publicly clarify the mandate and constitutional scope of the Permanent Political Solution (PPS) process for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, Terai and Dooars, before stakeholders submit further drafts and recommendations.
In a letter addressed to Union Home minister Amit Shah, GYAN chief coordinator and advocate Birendra Rasaily sought disclosure of the complete Terms of Reference (ToR), formal constitution order, composition, powers, tenure and reporting deadline of the drafting committee announced on August 22, 2026, under the chairmanship of former Additional National Security Adviser and Government of India interlocutor for the Gorkha impasse, Pankaj Kumar Singh.
The organisation has questioned whether the committee has been mandated to examine the long-standing demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland or to formulate an alternative arrangement within Bengal.
GYAN pointed out that the August 22 announcement did not specify the constitutional questions the committee was expected to examine or the nature of the political arrangement it was authorised to finalise. This, it said, had created uncertainty among stakeholders who were submitting proposals and recommendations without knowing the precise framework within which these would be considered.
"Stakeholders are participating in the Permanent Political Solution process and submitting their representations, proposals and recommendations. However, they have not been adequately informed about the specific mandate under which these submissions will be examined," stated the letter to the Union Home Minister.
Drawing comparisons with Justice BN Srikrishna Committee on Telangana, the High-Level Committee for Ladakh and the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) arrangement, GYAN said the mandate and intended outcome of a committee should be made clear before seeking stakeholder submissions.
The letter also sought clarification on whether the August 22 committee was a continuation of the earlier interlocutor-led process or a separate exercise with a revised mandate.
Referring to the earlier interlocutor's mandate, disclosed in Parliament through Unstarred Question No. 5188 on March 24, 2026, GYAN sought details of the one year appointment, including its commencement and expiry dates, whether any report or recommendations had been submitted, the government's response and whether the appointment had been extended or renewed.
The organisation also sought clarity on the geographical scope of the present exercise, particularly whether the proposed areas and concerned mouzas in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, Terai and Dooars were covered.
GYAN has urged the MHA to provide point-wise replies and make the relevant official orders, complete ToR and other public documents accessible, arguing that stakeholders must understand the actual objectives of the process before making further submissions.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.