The Centre has stated that it appointed an interlocutor for Darjeeling, the Terai and the Dooars, because of poor representation by the Bengal government during tripartite meetings.

Pankaj Kumar Singh, a former deputy national security adviser, was appointed as the interlocutor in October 2025 for a period of one year.

Nityanand Rai, minister of state, Union home ministry, while replying to several questions raised by Trinamool Congress MP Bapi Haldar recently on the interlocutor issue, stated that all elected members of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) had resigned in 2017.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on March 24, Rai stated that in view of the non-existence of GTA elected members and repeated requests for dialogue by Gorkha leaders, three tripartite meetings were convened by the Union home ministry on October 7, 2020, October 12, 2021, and April 3, 2025.

“There was no representation of Government of West Bengal in two tripartite meetings and no substantial representation in one meeting,” Rai stated.

“Thereafter, the Government of India has appointed an interlocutor to hold constructive dialogue with various stakeholders, including representatives of Gorkha organisations on issues related to Gorkhas in the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars region…..” the minister added.

All GTA Sabha members had resigned in 2017 following the Gorkhaland movement. The state government then appointed Binay Tamang as the chairman of the board of administrators the same year. Elections to the GTA were held on June 26, 2022.

Apart from holding dialogues, Singh has to “recommend measures for socio-economic, upliftment, cultural recognition, and preservation of cultural heritage of Gorkhas in the region, and addressing their aspiration within the Constitutional framework”.

So far, Gorkhas in the region have organised four rounds of agitations demanding the state of Gorkhaland — in 1986, 2007, 2013 and 2017.

This is not the first time an interlocutor has been appointed for Darjeeling.

The Congress-led UPA government had appointed Lt Gen. (retd) Vijay Madan as interlocutor to facilitate talks among the Centre, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha spearheading the Gorkhaland agitation, and the then Left Front government in Bengal.

Madan held a few meetings with stakeholders but things did not move much. He resigned in 2011, months before the Assembly elections where Mamata Banerjee, in a historic victory, ousted the Left Front.

Singh has visited Darjeeling a number of times and held interactions with various stakeholders in the past few months.

Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista stated that “certain individuals and leaders with vested interests and anti-region agendas” were raising questions about the appointment of the interlocutor and terms of reference.

“With this clear response, falsehoods spread by those attempting to create confusion have been exposed,” stated Bista.