Siliguri, May 4: The district unit of the Congress today demanded an all-party meeting on the situation in Darjeeling following the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s demand for a separate state, while the CPM has called a rally in town tomorrow to press for unity between the hills and plains.

“The chief minister should immediately hold an all-party meeting in Calcutta to bring back normality in the hills and plains,” said Shankar Malakar, the president of the Darjeeling district Congress.

Jyoti Basu, the then chief minister of Bengal, had involved Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to solve the problem of Gorkhaland in the 80s, said Malakar. “Considering the current situation, we demand that the incumbent chief minister take a similar step now. The district CPM leaders alone cannot solve the problem,” he added.

District CPM leaders claimed that its supporters always tried to maintain peace and unity between different communities. “One must understand that opposing Gorkhaland is not opposing the Gorkhalis,” said Asok Bhattacharya, a CPM leader and the hill affairs minister.

“We will hold a rally at Baghajatin Park tomorrow evening for unity and peace in the region,” Bhattacharya said.

People from all walks of life came together at Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri today to appeal for amity between the hills and the plains. The meet was organised by Jana Jagaran, an apolitical body of residents.