Pranab says yes to talks, no to Gorkhaland

NO WAY: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has ruled out the possibility of dividing West Bengal.

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Kolkata: The Centre is willing to hold talks on the crisis plaguing the hills of north Bengal , but not on the divisive demand of Gorkhaland.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has ruled out the possibility of dividing West Bengal to create a separate state of Gorkhaland in north Bengal as demanded by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

"We are not in favour of any separate state. We don’t want any dismemberment of the state," Mukherjee said in Kolkata on Saturday.

Mukherjee, however, said the Centre was ready to hold talks with GJM.

The Left Front also met in Kolkata on Saturday to discuss the crisis in the hills of north Bengal over the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland.

The Front met after GJM leaders rejected Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's offers for talks on Friday.

All the other Left Front constituents in West Bengal - Communist Party of India (CPI), Forward Bloc (FB) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) also reached a consensus that the GJM should not be invited for June 17 all-party meet.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and Left Front Chairman Biman Bose confirmed that an all-party meet will be held on June 17 to resolve the crisis and added that GJM has not been invited, as it was not a recognised party.

"All the Front constituents have agreed that the GJM cannot be called for the June 17 all-party meet since it is not a recognised party. Only the recognised political parties will take part in the meet. Even during the Gorkhaland agitation in 1985, when veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu was the chief minister, GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh was not invited in the meeting,'' Bose said.

The West Bengal Congress will also attend the June 17 all-party meet

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Working President Pradip Bhattacharjee said, '' We will take part in the June 17 all-party meeting, called by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, but we will not accept any condition. ''

''We want restoration of peace in both hills and plains, but partition of Bengal cannot be allowed under any circumstance. The Gorkhaland issue will have to be solved through discussion, '' he said.

He said Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi might represent Congress in the meet.

The GJM has already dismissed the offer to talk with the West Bengal Chief Minister on June 18 as irrelevant saying if the state government wants to settle the issue, there should be tripartite talks involving the GJM and the Centre.

Also talks should only focus on the demand for Gorkhaland, the Gorkha leaders said.

Meanwhile, the indefinite bandh called by the GJM in Darjeeling has been relaxed till 0600 hrs IST on Monday.

The GJM has been spearheading a violent agitation for a separate state in the hills and adjacent areas after Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) chief Subhas Ghising first raised the demand way back in 1980.

(With inputs from Agencies)