Will Solve Gorkha Issue in 6 Months of Winning West Bengal
Kolkata: Assuring Gorkhas in West Bengal’s Darjeeling that they will fulfill their long-standing demand for Gorkhaland, union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday made it clear that a “solution” for the hill community will happen within six months of the BJP forming its government after winning the Assembly Election here.
Addressing a poll campaign rally in Kurseong, Mr. Shah also claimed that the union home ministry’s counterpart Pankaj Kumar Singh, a retired IPS officer, would prepare a report after completing discussions with all Gorkha organizations and the state government on the issue.
The key strategist of the BJP also made another surprise by stating that the names of some Gorkhas, who were deleted by the state government in the special intensive revision of the Election Commission in the state, will be added to the voters’ list after the polls to appease them. He later reiterated that the fake cases filed against them by the Trinamul Congress government were withdrawn.
Mr. Shah said, “Within six months of BJP forming the government here, we will find a solution that will make all Gorkhas smile. Congress and TMC had done injustice to Darjeeling and Gorkhas before. I have been visiting here for nine years. But I promise you today that I will solve the decade-old Gorkha issue as per their wishes.”
“I understand you and your problems. No one can solve your problems except the BJP.” Attacking TMC president and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Shah said, “Gorkhas have a rich history. But Mamata Didi tried to destroy it. After becoming union home minister, I held three meetings to resolve the Gorkha issue in the last six years. But Mamata’s representatives never attended the meeting.”
“However, we are not dependent on you to solve the problem. Since you did not come to Delhi for meetings, we sent an interlocutor here. The interlocutor is meeting with all Gorkha organizations and state government officials. He will prepare a report. As soon as the BJP forms the government, we will present the solution that has been on the Gorkhas’ mind for a long time.”
Referring to the deletion of voters’ names in Darjeeling, the union home minister observed: “During the SIR process, Mamata Didi collector excluded the names of some Gorkhas. No problem! After winning this time, the BJP will restore these names in the voters’ list.” He stated that an investigation into the scam would be conducted within the Gorkhaland District Administration in the hills.
Giving a comparison of budget allocation, Mr. Shah stated that around ₹2,000 crore has been allocated by the TMC government for the welfare and development of Gorkhas and other tribal communities in North Bengal, while the figure has gone up to ₹5,000 crore for Muslims and madrassa education for the same purpose.
