Only two months ago, the situation in the Darjeeling Hills was approaching critical mass, with the Bimal Gurung-led GJM upping the ante and shutting down the district for nearly a month. Sikkim’s only lifeline — the NH-31A passing through Darjeeling — was closed to traffic by GJM bandh enforcers, shops selling essential commodities remained shut and a “non-cooperation” movement was launched which put a stop to payment of government taxes and levies, and changed most vehicle numberplates from “West Bengal” to “Gorkhaland”.

Parleys between the state government and the GJM ended in a stalemate with the former refusing to consider a separate Gorkhaland state. Finally, an unwilling Centre decided to form the third apex of the triangle and agreed to tripartite talks. Based on this assurance, the GJM withdrew its bandh and let normalcy return to the hills.

The GJM is somewhat happy that it has been able to get the Centre’s attention towards the Gorkhland issue. The GJM delegation’s return to Darjeeling was marked by a whistle-stop tour of the district and a series of public meetings. Senior party leaders indicated that the “non-cooperation” movement is expected to be relaxed anytime.

However, the Chief Minister made it clear in Siliguri last week that as far as his government was concerned, a separate Gorkhaland state was an impossible dream, even as the GJM expressed hope that positive results would come out of the next round of talks, slated for November.

The Centre’s involvement in the issue, which has periodically turned violent since the GNLF era in the ’80s, is much along the lines of the approach taken in Northeast states such as Nagaland, where one party or faction has been called to the talks’ table while keeping the others away — a trend that a section of politicians in Darjeeling unaffiliated to the GJM claim is an eyewash and an old ploy of the Centre.

Parties like the Gorkha League are alleging that the GJM is intimidating the people into accepting its mandates, and stifling other political pro-Gorkhaland voices in the district. Its president Madan Tamang has accused the Centre and state governments of giving undue importance to the GJM.

“Their only aim is to get power and occupy the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC). Subhash Ghising, during his tenure, siphoned off a lot of money, and has shown the path to power and riches. The Gorkhaland demand didn’t move forward at all with the GNLF, and now all this agitation is only to emerge as favourites of the government and keep the issue without solution,” alleges Tamang.

However, GJM leaders are quick to point out that they have tried to include everyone in the talks. “Apart from our party delegation, we took along representatives from every regional and national party in Darjeeling to the first round of talks. How can anyone say they’ve been left out?” asked GJM leader Amar Lama.

Chances of a violent conflagration involving state or Central forces has been ruled out by the Bengal government. During the height of agitation in July, state Home Secretary Ashoke Mohan Chakrabarty issued orders banning any kind of confrontation with protestors, say government sources.

“The plan seems to be one of wait-and-watch. All moves made by the GJM to break laws could be their ruse to draw an administrative crackdown. So, any reaction by us could be the flashpoint they’re looking for. Let them do what they want now. It is presumed that in time, the movement would lose steam,” said a senior state government official.