Indian Express 26.03.2010
Governor calls ministers for Gorkhaland updates
Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay Tags : GJM, kolkata Posted: Friday , Mar 26, 2010 at 0211 hrs
Kolkata: Governor M K Narayanan today called Minister for Urban Development Ashok Bhattacharya and Minister for Health and Family Welfare Surya Kanta Mishra to Raj Bhavan to get an update on the Darjeeling talks even as the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha, spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland, expressed its unhappiness over the role of the Governor on the issue.Bhattacharya and Mishra had represented the state government in the political-level tripartite talks held in Delhi on March 18.
“The Governor wanted to know what happened at the meeting, the mood of the people attending the meet, the atmosphere, the proposals submitted by the GJM and we apprised him of that. The Governor wants a peaceful solution of the whole problem and we have told him what the state is doing,” Bhattacharya said.
The GJM, meanwhile, said it was unhappy over the role the Governor had played so far. “In his speech in the Assembly on the first day of the Budget Session, the Governor said he was against division of Bengal. We know it is the constitutional duty of the Governor to read the speech but he could have avoided it. However, we want co-operation from everybody and if he calls us, we will meet him,” Benoy Tamang, the Morcha’s assistant secretary, said.
The GJM is going to organise a rally at Kurseong on March 28, which will be addressed by, among others, the outfit’s president Bimal Gurung.
