Subash Ghisingh

Calcutta/Darjeeling, March 16: The Assembly today accepted a resolution for setting up a new autonomous council for the hill areas of Darjeeling under the Sixth Schedule but the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) remained silent, raising questions about its ability to implement the accord keeping everyone happy.

Shanta Chhetri and Gaulan Lepcha, the two MLAs of the GNLF, did not speak during the discussion on the motion tabled by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and abstained during the voice-vote.

Sources in the hills said the duo’s silence means the GNLF, which had forced the Centre and the state to accept its demand, was shying away from raising contentious issues before the new Gorkha Hill Council, Darjeeling, comes into force.

Under the Memorandum of Settlement signed in December 2005, seats have been reserved for tribals, who make up around 35 per cent of the hill population, and minorities, but there is no mention of the Scheduled Castes. GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh has tried to work out a solution by calling upon the SCs to convert to tribals, but the communities have refused.

Given the tension in the Hills over the issue, sources said, the GNLF would like to remain non-committal and instead put the ball in the government’s court.

Chhetri defended the move to remain silent. “There was no reason for us to speak as this was a government motion. Everything has been agreed upon in the Memorandum of Settlement and the motion was along the lines of the agreement,” she said.