Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to direct Union home minister Amit Shah to look into objections raised by Bengal chief minister on the appointment of an interlocutor for Darjeeling has created a rumble in the political landscape of the region.
The development has put even the BJP and its allies on the back foot, but most leaders of the camp are hopeful that the home minister will stick to the government’s decision to go ahead with the interlocutor.
“We are hopeful that there will be no change in plan with regard to appointing an interlocutor for the place,” said an ally leader.
The Centre had last week appointed Pankaj Kumar Singh, former deputy national security adviser, as “interlocutor and government representative” on the issue of “Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai”.
On October 18, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had immediately written to Modi expressing her surprise and shock over the appointment and had raised objections over the unilateral decision of the Centre.
“This appointment has been made without any consultation with the government of West Bengal…,” Mamata had written, adding that the move was “inconsistent with the spirit of cooperative federalism”. She demanded that the appointment be revoked.
Sources said that Modi directed Shah on October 21 to look into the issues raised
by Mamata.
“The news in The Telegraph has left a bitter taste…The development indicates that the BJP is not serious about the issue,” said Ajoy Edwards, chief convener of Indian Gorkha Janshakti Front (IGJF), the main Opposition in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
“We hope that the BJP leaders and allies who had thanked the Prime Minister for appointing the interlocutor will ensure that things move in the right direction. The BJP was voted from Darjeeling for the last 20 years for separation from Bengal,” said Edwards.
The IGJF also sent a message to Mamata that the hills were not happy with the GTA.
“We would also like to tell the chief minister that we are not happy with the GTA that holds three Sabha meetings in three years and leases its properties to private parties for 30 years,” said Edwards.
Apart from IGJF, even leaders of the BJP’s allies in the hills said that they were closely monitoring the development. “The issue is very sensitive and we would not like to comment immediately,” said a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader, a BJP ally.
The BJP has been speaking of a “permanent political solution” for the hills since 2009, when it registered the first of its four consecutive wins from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
“In the hills and in north Bengal as a whole, the BJP played the polarisation card during the 2016 and 2021 Assembly elections, too,” a Siliguri-based veteran politician had said.
“This time, Trinamool is desperate to thwart its principal contender from polarising voters on identity issues, and the appointment of an interlocutor could be an important issue during the campaign, especially in the hills, Terai and Dooars.”
The CPM and the Congress also joined Trinamool in opposing the appointment of the interlocutor.