(From left) Union home secretary GK Pillai and state chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti and home secretary Ardhendu Sen at the talks. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Dec. 21: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to resume its statehood agitation from December 26 with president Bimal Gurung blaming Delhi for “taking the talks too lightly” after today’s tripartite meeting.

However, the outfit has announced a Christmas breather. “Keeping in mind the Christmas celebrations, we will not hold any agitation programme till December 25,” Gurung said.

While suspending its fast-unto-death on Saturday, the Morcha had threatened to resume it from December 22 if the talks failed.

The hill party has not termed today’s meeting an outright failure but it has also not called it a success. “We should neither be too happy nor too sad today,” Gurung said, summing up the party’s mood.

Hundreds of people assembled at Chowrastha around the time the meeting was scheduled to begin at Mayfair resort, 150 metres away. They sat for three hours until the Morcha talks team reached Chowrastha to brief Gurung, who had been camping at a nearby hotel.

With the crowd anxious to hear the outcome of the meeting, Gurung led senior Morcha leaders to a dais and announced his next phase of agitation.

“Three members each from the Gorkha Primary Teachers’ Organisation, Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation, Janmukti Karmachari Sangathan, Sishu Siksha Kendra and the contractors’ association will sit on fast,” Gurung announced without clarifying from when or for how long.

The Morcha students’ wing will begin its agitation from December 27, he added, also without spelling out the details.

Last week, Gurung had threatened to take five students each from every school in the hills and start an indefinite fast along NH55 and NH31A, the roads that connect Darjeeling and Gangtok with Siliguri.

State and central government offices shut down by the Morcha since December 16 will reopen tomorrow but, Gurung said, they will be closed again from December 26.

The Morcha chief said his party had been formed “only for Gorkhaland”.