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.

... contd.