A Morcha rally in Darjeeling on Sunday. (Suman Tamang)

Dec. 20: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today called upon the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to drop the statehood demand and Pranab Mukherjee said the situation would turn complicated if it “refuses to be flexible”.

“A serious problem has cropped up in Darjeeling over the Morcha demand for statehood. I have already requested them (Morcha leaders) not to divide the state. I’m once again telling them not to think about splitting from us,” the chief minister told a public meeting in Raniganj, about 200km from Calcutta.

He assured Morcha leaders “all possible co-operation from the state” to run the administration in the hills.

“I would urge them to run the administration the way they want to. We shall... fully co-operate.”

“What’s the use of splitting the state? Will there be another Sikkim? What will be the gain from it?” the chief minister asked.

However, the Morcha was in no mood to heed the appeal. “We will not budge an inch from our (statehood) demand,” its general secretary Roshan Giri said.

He used Bhattacharjee’s example, Sikkim, to argue in favour of smaller states. “Sikkim is developing rapidly. Our demand for a separate state revolves not only on our identity but the aspirations of hill people, which have not been fulfilled for long.”

In Calcutta, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said: “If somebody becomes arrogant on a demand and refuses to be flexible, the situation will become complicated.”

Mukherjee added that there was no way to end the Darjeeling impasse apart from talks. “Any problem can be solved through discussions. I’m optimistic about the meeting (tomorrow),” he said.

Mukherjee, also the state Congress chief, added that Union home minister P. Chidambaram had spoken to Morcha leaders on their demands.

The Congress is opposed to the bifurcation of Bengal.

In Raniganj, the chief minister accused the Trinamul Congress of joining forces with the Morcha on Gorkhaland. “Trinamul is aligning with all those who are against us,” he said.