Gorkhaland agitation: After 29 August meet with West Bengal govt, GJM committee discuss outcome

A GJM central committee will be meeting here on Thursday to discuss the outcome of the 29 August talks with the West Bengal government and whether to continue the shutdown in the hills, which has entered its 78th day.

The meeting of the party’s central committee comes at a time when sharp differences have emerged between Gorkha Janmukti Morcha convenor Binay Tamang and party chief Bimal Gurung. Though the GJM leadership remained tight-lipped about the meeting, but a section of senior leaders want the differences between Tamang and Gurung to be sorted out soon.

“We feel that there has been some sort of misunderstanding and miscommunication between the two. We want this miscommunication to be sorted out soon, as we do not want others to take advantage out of it,” a senior GJM leader told PTI.

“We will discuss the outcome of the meeting and declare our next course of action,” he said. Tamang is scheduled to reach the hills on Thursday and hold a public meeting at Kurseong.

Gurung had ruled out the possibility of withdrawing the shutdown until talks begin only on the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland. Since 15 August, picketing was withdrawn by the GJM from various parts of the hills. But fresh picketing was visible in Mirik, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Sonada and other areas from Thursday morning. A vehicle was damaged in Sonada area on Wednesday night, police said.