Darjeeling, Aug. 11: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief today hastened to smoothen ruffled feathers after Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling hit out against the frequent blockades on NH31A set up by the hill party.

“We firmly believe that the problem can be solved through dialogue and not by approaching the Supreme Court,” said Morcha president Bimal Gurung. He was referring to the PIL filed by O.P. Bhandari against the blockades in response to which a division bench of the apex court has asked the Centre to ensure that the highway remained free for traffic.

B.B. Gooroong, the political adviser to Chamling, said Gurung’s gesture was good. “We, too, believe that this conflict must be amicably settled. We have been supporting the demand for Gorkhaland as we are emotionally attached to the people of Darjeeling,” said Gooroong. About Bhandari’s PIL, Gooroong said the case was filed in 2005 when “Subash Ghisingh was at the helm of affairs”.

The national highway is the only road link between Sikkim and the rest of the country. Chamling made it clear on Friday that “the people of the state would not accept suppression or domination by2

outside forces”. The immediate reason for the outburst was a blockade set up by the Morcha a day earlier because of a misunderstanding between police and a few supporters of the party who were on signature campaign for Gorkhaland in the hill state. As soon as the news of the policemen’s alleged rudeness reached the Morcha in Darjeeling, its supporters blocked the national highway at Rambi, Rangpo and Teesta. They were lifted after the misunderstanding was sorted out in Gangtok.

“I was not even aware of the blockade…We will take disciplinary action against those who staged the blockade without our knowledge,” said Gurung.

But he said that three representations made to Chamling on Gorkhaland have gone unnoticed. “The emotional ties between the people of Sikkim and Darjeeling cannot be overlooked...However, the representation made by us on three occasions has gone unheeded,” the Morcha president said.

Chamling, too, had spoken about the “brotherly relations” that Sikkim and Darjeeling share. “We have good wishes for their Gorkhaland movement but why are they blocking our roads regularly?” he had said.

The Morcha had appealed to Chamling to pass a resolution in support of a new state in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Gooroong said the resolution was under the “active consideration” of the Sikkim Democratic Front and the chief minister.