Darjeeling, 02 March (H.S.): Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Gorkhaland issue has once again become the focus of political discussion. In a meeting with national-level Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Nabin on Monday, representatives of the Gorkha community reiterated their long-standing demands. The Gorkhas clearly stated that if the formation of Gorkhaland is not possible, then North Bengal should be made a Union Territory.

The meeting took place in Siliguri as part of the Bengal BJP's Parivartan Yatra, where Gorkha community representatives welcomed Nitin Naveen by wearing the traditional Gorkha cap. At the meeting, the Gorkhas pointed out various problems in the hill region, saying that although the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was formed after the 2007 agitation, it failed to address the underlying issues.

The Gorkha community, which has been agitating for Gorkhaland for a long time, says the state government is not serious about the issue. Political analysts believe that the issue of state division is also sensitive for the BJP, yet this time the Gorkhas have raised the demand for making North Bengal a Union Territory as an alternative.

After the meeting, Neeraj Zimba, BJP MLA from Darjeeling, said, Whenever there is a meeting with the Gorkhas, it is natural for the Gorkhaland issue to be raised. Meanwhile, BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, said that everyone has the right to express their views. The Bharatiya Janata Party wants all issues to be resolved through dialogue. If the BJP forms the government in the state in 2026, there will definitely be a permanent solution to the hill problem, he claimed.

Siliguri BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said that he did not have complete information about what was discussed in the meeting, but the party would seek a solution to the hill problem while maintaining balance.

Notably, the BJP has long enjoyed support in the hill areas and has consistently won the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. Despite this, the Gorkha community alleges that their demands have not yet been met. Against this backdrop, Nitin Nabin's meeting, appointed as a mediator by the central government, is considered politically significant.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey