National

Gurung rejects talks offer yet again

Kolkata: The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha has again rejected Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s offer for talks to end the stalemate in Darjeeling hills arising from the GJM demand for a separate State.

The letter of invitation was sent on Wednesday, a day after all-party talks held here called on the State government to begin a dialogue with the GJM leadership for restoration of peace in the hills.

“The invitation was handed over to GJM president Bimal Gurung here today [on Thursday] and the leadership has decided that it will sit only for tripartite talks involving the Centre on its demand. If the Chief Minister wants to meet us, he can do so during the talks,” GJM general secretary Roshan Giri told The Hindu over telephone from Darjeeling.

This is the second time in the past week that the GJM has rejected the Chief Minister’s invitation.

Meanwhile, the resumed GJM bandh entered the third day, affecting life in the three hill subdivisions.

Sikkim, which is connected by National Highway 31A, a stretch of which passes through the Darjeeling region, remained virtually cut off from the rest of the country. For, the highway was closed to traffic, except for vehicles of the Army and the ones carrying students.

The GJM leadership announced the raising of a “voluntary” force “to maintain peace, tackle anti-social activity and provide social service” in the region.

The force, to be called “Gorkhaland Personnel, will comprise 2000 volunteers including 700 women, and “function on the lines of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh,” GJM spokesman Benoy Tamang said. The recruitment would begin on June 22.

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